Sen no Kotoba 1000 Words
by Armageddon Angel
Summary: A chance wind allowed Kinomoto Sakura and Li Syaoran to meet and become best friends. As children they were inseparable. But as they grow older, they see the feelings that were always there. Snapshots of a Relationship
1. A Chance Meeting

Sen no Kotoba (1000 Words)

Summary: A chance wind allowed Kinomoto Sakura and Li Syaoran to meet and become best friends. As children they were inseparable. But as they grow older, nature takes her course and blossoms the two children. It is then when they see the feelings that were always there.

Disclaimer: Sen no Kotoba belongs to Kazushige-san (it's an FFX-2 song) and CCS belongs to CLAMP.

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Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter

It was an unusually sunny day. Unusual because it contrasted the mood of one family. The Kinomoto family was burying a loving wife and mother. Nadeshiko, the woman in question, had failing health all of her life and it was only a matter of time until she couldn't take it. However, she had some joy in the form of her children: Touya, ten-year-old soccer superstar and a prepubescent heartthrob and Sakura, three-year-old cutie and the apple of her father's eye.

As the Kinomoto family laid Nadeshiko to rest, Fujitaka had his emotions guarded (he had promised her deathbed that he would always live his life happy), Touya was bawling. However, Sakura did not cry. She did not understand the concept of life and death and so, she did not cry. She did know, however, that her mother loved her but she couldn't be with her anymore.

The family, along with Sonomi and Tomoyo, were all dressed in black. Both Sakura and Tomoyo had sunhats on their heads.

As they laid the coffin in the grave, Fujitaka went to a portable stereo and pressed play. A beautiful tune started to come out as he explained the reason for the music.

"When Nadeshiko and I danced for the first time at the local club, this was the first song that we danced to, Sen no Kotoba."

As Kazushige Nojima's voice overlapped the grim scene, a chance wind blew and took Sakura's hat with it. It was a special hat that her mother bought her before she passed away and to Sakura, it was most precious. So she gave the hat chase.

"Wait! Please!" the three year old cried in her cute little voice. However, the wind seemed not to obey her. Surprise, surprise! The sunhat sailed softly across sepulchers and continued until it stopped where another family was laying their father to rest. Sakura picked up the hat. After placing the hat on her head, she surveyed the place where she was. Obviously, she was lost. There was a woman with five children around a coffin in the same fashion as she and her family.

Li Yelan, who for one moment was not mourning the lost of her husband, noticed the little girl. Most likely, she was lost. She smoothed out her black dress and walked towards Sakura. "Little girl, why are you here?" she asked.

The little girl looked at the older woman with her big, green eyes. "Well, I was here in this centemaly" Sakura rambled in her cute child's voice "and the wind blew my hat that okaa-san got me because she passed away and we are paying spects to her and …" Thus she continued, not knowing what she was saying, mispronouncing difficult words. In that, Yelan had to smile. Even with her mother gone, she seems not to lose her cheer.

There was another gust of wind and Sakura's hat came off her head again. This time, it didn't go far. It landed in front of a young boy with messy, brown hair. He was dressed in green and black. The boy picked up the hat and returned it to her. "Hello, my name is Syaoran." The young kid mumbled, looking at the ground even while he returned the hat.

As opposed to the chatty Sakura, Syaoran was a complete introvert. "Well," Sakura gabbed on, "my name is Sakura and I live in Tomoeda and I like my cat Kero-chan and I…" and so she continued chatting away at the boy. Syaoran was dumbstruck. He had never seen a girl talk so much (that included his sisters). All he could do is imitate a fish and enter a head-nodding routine.

Yelan observed her son. He was a completely shy person. Perhaps it would be best to pair him up with someone like her. Sakura might be able to open him up and he might finally have a friend outside of the family. But first things first. She had to find where Sakura's father was.

Yelan stooped to the little girl's level. "Sakura-chan, where is your otou-san?" In response, the three-year-old put a chubby finger to her chin as if in deep thought. "I don't know!" the emerald-eyed girl spoke haltingly. Tears began to well in her eyes. "Papa, papa!" she cried.

As if to answer her, Touya's voice called out to her. "Sakura, Sakura, where are you?" her brother called out to her, worriedly. The tearful girl turned around and ran to her brother and embraced him. "Onii-chan, I was so lost." She cried into his shirt while Touya rubbed her back in a comforting manner.

Yelan, happy to see Sakura reunited with her brother, took the opportunity to walk over to Touya. "Excuse me young man," she spoke in such a way that Touya was compelled to look her in the eyes "but are you related to Sakura-chan?"

In the face of such a presence, Touya could only nod. "Well," she continued "I would like to speak to your father." It sounded like a request, but from the look in her eyes, Touya instinctually knew that the woman was not going to be denied. He led Yelan to his father, holding Sakura by the hand.

They could see Fujitaka from the distance and waving at them. Sakura ran to her father. "Otou-san!" she cried. Yelan walked towards the widower and extended her hand. "You must be Sakura-chan's father. My name is Li Yelan." The Chinese woman introduced herself. "It seems that Sakura's hat blew away and she chased it. It fell in the vicinity of my family laying to rest my husband."

Sakura's father smiled and walked to his daughter. "Well, it seems you got the hat back." To this, the emerald-eyed girl nodded her head sleepily. It seems that she exerted most of her energy chasing the hat; her eyes looked droopy. "And it seems that the effort wiped you out. When we get back home, you can take a nap."

Yelan kept silent as she observed the family dynamics of the Kinomoto family. They were bubbling with energy and happiness, even though they were hurt by the death of the woman, Nadeshiko. Perhaps it would be advantageous to introduce Syaoran to them. He was already four and only spoke a few sentences a day. After taking him to the best psychologist in Hong Kong, only to be given no answer as to what his problem was. It was beyond introverted. It was more anti-social. Sakura had to be the answer. She would force him to open up, hopefully.

The dignified woman walked towards Fujitaka. "I have a proposition for you." She said to the man. "I have a son around her age. I think that it will be a good idea to have them be friends, especially since they have gone through similar circumstances."

Sakura's father nodded immediately. "I think that is a good idea. It would be a good thing to have Sakura relate to someone." He took a paper that was, for this author's purposes, conveniently in his pocket and wrote down his information. Handing it to Yelan, she pocketed the paper and bowed low.

"I hope this is the start of a good friendship." Yelan mentioned as an afterthought and returned to her funeral party (as in a group of people.)

Kinomoto Fujitaka lifted his little girl in his arms. Sakura looked at her father with her cute, green eyes. "Is Syaoran going to be my friend?" she asked in her cute voice.

"Of course, my little cherry blossom" he smiled.

With that, the family continued mourning the loss of a great woman.

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Author's Notes: Please excuse this chapter. I know it wasn't action-packed but I have to set the foundation somewhere. And trust me, it will get better.

When you do review, if I am missing some character detail, please tell me. Also, if you know a place where there are some good subs of CCS, tell me as I haven't seen it in such a long time. Don't be afraid to _constructively_ criticize me. I won't bite.


	2. Leaf Fight

Chapter 2

Author's note: Questions will be tackled in order of reviews.

No, there will not be magic in this story. This is the first time that I have ever broken canon. But in this story, magic will not work.

Nadeshiko died because of failing health. I will follow the manga's / anime's reason for her death. As for Syaoran's dad, well, I will cover that in this chapter with the reason why they are burying him in Japan. (Think of it really as author's privilege)

I believe that Yelan is kind. She is authoritative and can be kind, at least from what I've seen anyways.

Thank you so much for the reviews. And with that, I shall take this fairy dust (drugs)and weave you a story.

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Chapter 2: Leaf Fight 

Three weeks have passed since the funeral and the Kinomoto family was recovering bit by bit. Sakura was out in her backyard, playing with her cousin and best friend, Daidouji Tomoyo. In her backyard was a lovely cherry tree and, when the slightest of winds blew, some of the petals came off and danced around the three-year-olds.

Fujitaka, still on leave, was preparing lunch for the kids when he heard the phone ring. He picked it up. It was Li Yelan, the woman that found Sakura when she was lost at the cemetery. She wanted to set up a play date for her youngest son, Syaoran. Agreeing to tomorrow, he hung up the phone and smiled. Sakura was going to be so happy.

Tomorrow became today and Sakura was playing around tree that was her namesake when her father called out to her. "Sakura-chan."

"Yes, tou-chan." She answered back. The lean man came to her and put on the hat that her mother gave her. "Do you remember the nice woman and her son, Syaoran?"

She gave him a look that said, of course. Her emerald eyes gazed at her father expectantly. "Yes. Why?" She started to put two and two together and got four. She squealed in delight.

He smiled. That was one of the things he loved about his daughter. She loved surprises. It is no shocker that her birthday fell on the day where everyone tried to fool their friends. "Well, Li-san is going to bring her son over so that you two can play."

The young auburn haired girl hugged her father as hard as a girl her age and size could. Fujitaka, in response, patted his daughter on the head. "He will be here in a few minutes."

Sakura went running to her room in search of some games that she could play with Syaoran. Fujitaka chuckled. It didn't take much to excite her.

Within the timeframe that Fujitaka told Sakura, there was a knock at the door. As expected, Li Yelan and her son Li Syaoran was on his doorstep. With a smile, he allowed them in. He noticed that both of the Lis had something in their hands, Yelan a box of some sort and Syaoran, a pie. Yelan gave her gift to Fujitaka.

"In our community, it is customary to give a gift to the master of the house whenever you are invited to their homes for the first time." Yelan explained. Fujitaka nodded and opened the gift. It was a tie with decorative Chinese kanji across it. He smiled.

"Thank you so much." Yelan smiled and took a seat on his couch. Fujitaka also took the pie from Syaoran and put it on the counter.

Meanwhile, little Syaoran stood up, a bit apprehensive of his environment. That is, until a three-year-old bundle of energy came running down the stairs. "Otou-chan," Sakura raised her voice so that her father would give her his attention.

"Yes, Sakura!" He smiled as his daughter came down the stairs. "I can't reach..." The emerald-eyed girl stopped her words when she surveyed the living room. She saw both Yelan and Syaoran and immediately rushed to see them.

"Hello, Mrs. Syaoran's mom. Hello, Syaoran." With a respectful curtsy, she greeted the Chinese woman and her son. Yelan smiled at her cuteness. "Hello, Sakura." She smiled and patted her head. Syaoran mumbled a hello and kept his eyes face down. "Why don't you take Syaoran and play while your father and I talk?"

Needing no other invitation, Sakura grabbed Syaoran by the hand and took him outside.

Fujitaka chuckled and made some tea for his guest. "You have a lively daughter, Kinomoto-san." Yelan commented. "She takes after her mother, Li-san."

With the tea prepared, Fujitaka and Yelan started to have a conversation. "Li-san, I know that you are not from Japan from the accent. Please don't think of me as rude, but why did you bury your husband here?" Fujitaka looked at her with calm eyes, awaiting her answer.

Yelan took a sip of her tea and looked back at Sakura's father with steely eyes. "My husband was the leader of the Li clan and the CEO of the Caritas Corporation, the world's largest pharmaceutical company. His life's work was to rid the world of disease so that the children of tomorrow would only know about sicknesses like influenza, cancer, and AIDS only from textbooks. Most of his work took him to Japan, or should I say that the only place that he loved more than Hong Kong was Japan." She chuckled as if in a memory.

She continued after taking another sip of her tea. "He had asked me, and I thought it was strange at the time, that if he should die, he would like to be buried in Japan. He said that the beauty of rural Japan superseded that of busy Hong Kong."

Yelan took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the next part of the story. "At the laboratory where he worked, there was a leak of a toxic gas. There weren't enough chemical suits to go around. He gave up what was his to save the life of a man whose wife was expecting a baby. He called me later and told me what happened. I couldn't help but feel torn between sadness and proud of his selflessness."

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Li-san." Fujitaka told her sincerely. He went to the teapot to refill their cups. After doing that, he sat down. "Not to intrude more, but since the funeral business is done, why aren't you going back to Hong Kong?"

"It's Syaoran!" She responded. "He is extremely introverted. He won't play with other kids and would be content doing nothing. He rarely speaks and spends more time in his room than with others. I took him to a psychiatric and there was nothing he could do. He says that Syaoran is going through a phase and that he will grow out of it."

Fujitaka smiled a bit. "I see! So you wanted Syaoran to be with someone full of energy like Sakura in the hopes of him opening up."

Yelan nodded. With that out of the way, Fujitaka told her about his wife.

Sakura and Syaoran were outside. Sakura was playing with the leaves of her namesake's tree while Syaoran watched her. "Come on, Syaoran!" she cajoled him. "Let's play!"

Syaoran stood dumbstruck. _What a strange girl_, he thought. He did not see the pile of petals hit him. Sakura giggled. "Leaf fight!" she shouted. The amber-eyed boy was frozen in his place. Sakura stopped laughing. He looked like he was about to cry. "Oh, please don't cry, Syaoran." the green-eyed girl pleaded.

"Why did you throw leaves at me?" he asked in curiosity. The girl looked at him strangely. "Because it's leaf fight! You can't play leaf fight without throwing leaves. Duh!" she looked at him as if her explanation was the simplest thing in the world. "Come on, you try." Sakura persuaded Syaoran.

He shook his head. "Come on. It's tons of fun! Look at me." Sakura took another pile of petals and threw them in the air. As the petals scattered from the pile, she started laughing and singing. "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring." She collapsed in a fit of laughter.

Syaoran looked at her strangely. How are leaves so funny, he wondered. Hesitantly, he picked up a pile of petals and threw them into the air. It was weird, but something inside of him thought that the rain of pink petals was funny. A smile tugged at his lips.

Another pile of leaves hit him. Sakura giggled. "Leaf fight!" she shouted again. This time, she was not disappointed when a pile of leaves came in her direction and hit her face. Syaoran started laughing as he and Sakura started throwing leaves at each other, oblivious to the smiling faces of two parents.

After an afternoon of throwing the sakura petals at each other, it was time for Syaoran to go home. Although both of the children were sad, both of the parents promised that they would play tomorrow.

Syaoran and his mother were walking home when Yelan noticed a bright smile on his face. She had never seen him smile at all. It was a wonderful sight.

"So did you have fun with Sakura-chan, Syaoran?" she asked.

"Yes, kaa-chan." He answered in an excitable voice. "We started throwing the cherry leaves at each other, then we raced, then we made it rain with the petals…"

As Syaoran recounted his day, he realized that Sakura was good medicine for her son, better than all of the high priced psychiatrics and drugs money could buy. And the funny thing about it was she did it in one day. Never had her son be more excited about anything before Sakura and that was a good thing. Perhaps they should stay in Tomoeda for a while longer. Her husband was right. Rural Japan is much better than busy Hong Kong. For Syaoran's sake, it would be a good idea to stay here for a good long time.

"Kaa-chan?" Syaoran spoke softly. His mother turned to him. "Yes, Syaoran?"

A handful of cherry petals hit her in the face. "Leaf fight!" he shouted. Yelan was shocked. She did not expected that from her once introverted Syaoran. There was a mischievous smile on her face. "Oh, I think that someone is looking to get tickled." Syaoran giggled as he was tickled all the way home.

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That's chapter two. Don't worry! They will get longer as I get deeper into the story. The next chapter will cover the first day of school. Please tell me what you think of this chapter. I thrive on your reviews. And the fairy dust is a joke. 


	3. Come on out, Syaokame

Chapter 3: Come on out, Syao-kame

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A very cross Syaoran looked at the full-length mirror at himself and did not like what he saw. He saw a boy in an uncomfortable starchy shirt with matching pants. His hair, thankful for small wonders, was still messy. He hated the way that he was dressed. "I don't want to go to kindergarten." He stated with finality at the boy in the mirror.

Yelan, overlooking her son in his mental ranting, shook her head. "But if you do not go to kindergarten, you will miss Sakura-chan."

At the mention of his friend, amber eyes popped open. "Sakura-chan is going to be there?"

After the first meeting with Sakura, Syaoran had been over her house on a regular basis. Yelan could see the difference in her son's attitude. He was more lively and talkative. She learned very quickly that the worst punishment she could enforce on Syaoran was to prevent him from going to Sakura's house. The Chinese woman had yet to implement that but the threat alone kept him in line and more obedient, not that his behavior was ever a problem.

"Of course she is." Yelan smiled, dark eyes twinkling something mischievous. "And if you want to see her, then you will have to go to kindergarten. Plus you will meet other people."

"I don't want to meet other people. I just want to play with Sakura-chan." The four year old Syaoran was adamant on that point.

"Then off to kindergarten." That was the end of the conversation and Syaoran knew at that moment he was going to kindergarten whether he liked it or not. The boy crossed his arms. At least he didn't have to like it.

* * *

However, there was a different reaction to going to kindergarten at the Kinomoto house. Three year old Kinomoto Sakura was twirling in the sundress that her mother got her. "And do we finger-paint in kindergarten, otou-san?" the cute little girl asked?

There was a smile on Fujitaka's face. "Yes, Sakura-chan, you get to finger-paint. And there are so many things that you are going to do, but that has to be a secret until you get there okay?" To emphasize the secret, he placed his index finger on his lips, to which the honey-haired child mimicked the action.

"Okay!" she smiled and went downstairs where Touya was eating cereal. "Good morning, Kaijuu." He smiled. With a resounding thump, the poor prepubescent soccer star had his foot stepped upon. He let out a howl. "What was that for?

"Sakura is not a Kaijuu." She told him, making her way to the kitchen table. Pouring herself a bowl of cereal, she ate in silence.

"Hey, Kaijuu! Is the Gaki going to be there?" That comment earned a glare from the three year old but since her legs were short, Sakura could not kick him. Pity.

"He is not a Gaki. He is Syaoran-chan and yes, he is going to kindergarten and so is Tomoyo-chan." The emerald-eyed girl was indignant. He had no right to make fun of her and her friends.

Touya just laughed. It was so easy to rile his sister. Of course he loved her, but big brothers always like to tease their younger siblings. It was like the Circle of Life or something.

"Whatever!" He placed his bowl in the sink and patted her on the head. "Tell otou-san that I left for school. And don't go Kaijuu on everyone." With that, he left her alone to her fuming.

* * *

A few minutes later, Sakura was on her way to kindergarten, asking her father a million questions in a hyperactive voice, this in contrast to the silent ride with Syaoran and his mother.

Sakura finally made it to the Unitas Therapeutic Community, a daycare slash kindergarten. Fujitaka took Sakura by the hand and led her into the doors. There she was greeted by a very beautiful woman. She had long orange hair to the small of her back. A smile was on her face. "Good morning, young lady. I am Inoue-sensei. Welcome to Unitas."

Sakura immediately made her way to Inoue-sensei's side. "Bye-bye, otou-san."

With a quick wave to his daughter, Fujitaka left his daughter in the capable hands of Inoue-sensei.

Not five minutes later had past when a very cross Syaoran was led by his mother into Unitas. "Good morning, young man." Inoue-sensei greeted the messy haired boy. But, unlike Sakura, Syaoran hid behind his mother.

Sakura, seeing Yelan, ran to her quickly. "Hello, Mrs. Syaoran's mom. Where's Syaoran-chan?" The Chinese woman patted the auburn haired girl on the head.

"It's seems that Syaoran doesn't want to come out." There was a playful smirk on her face. "I need your help. Can you help me get Syaoran to play with the others?"

Sakura giggled and crept behind Yelan, pulling on the amber-eyed boy. "Come on out, Syao-kame. It's time to come out of your shell." Syaoran responded by pulling on his mother's hand.

"No, I don't want to go to kindergarten." Syaoran struggled in vain. Sakura could be a very forceful girl if necessary. And whenever she wanted something from Syaoran, she can play downright dirty. This situation was no exception. She got her hand in between his underarm and began to tickle him. Syaoran's grip on his mother was slowly losing its strength until finally he lost it and gave up laughing. "That was dirty, Sakura-chan." He said between breaths.

Yelan took this time to make a hasty retreat. "Syaoran, I will be back in a few hours. Sakura, please keep him occupied until then."

Sakura waved at the Chinese woman. "Bye-bye, Mrs. Syaoran's mom."

The day began with Inoue-sensei telling a story of a knight protecting his princess from the bad guys. However, she allowed everyone to put their own ideas into the story. The children really loved the idea and she encouraged even the most outlandish of ideas as a plot device. So it went a bit like this.

"Once, there was a lovely princess called Orihime. She had six fairy attendants. But she was a very lonely girl. Her brother had passed away when an evil ninja mutant challenged him to a duel. Although he was skilled with the light saber and magic, he still fell to the power of the super-awesome death ray."

This was the prologue told by the sensei. She pointed to a young girl with glasses. "Okay Naoko-chan, what is the next thing that is going to happen?"

"The knight has to be friends with the princess and he has to have super-strength." The young girl responded.

"Ok!" Inoue clapped her hands together, liking the idea. "So let's see! The princess was very lonely because her brother was no longer with her. So she was waiting for someone to be her friend when there was a traveling knight. His name was Ichigo. He was a kind boy that would always scowl. He had bright orange hair that you would believe that it was flaming. He was super-strong. No zombie or alien could stand against him."

It was a very interesting exercise. She had all of the children's attention. Behind her, there was a scowling, spiky orange-haired teacher. He was listening to the yarn that Inoue-sensei was telling and shook his head. The sad part about this was that she wasn't really making this up. This was just Inoue-sensei being Inoue-sensei. These are her actual thought processes.

After finishing her story, Inoue-sensei looked up and saw the other teacher staring at her. "Oh, is it time for outside activities, Kurosaki-sensei?" He nodded his head and the children followed him outside. All except for Syaoran.

Inoue-sensei looked in distress at the child. He was in a corner and didn't want anything to do with any other children. "Syaoran-chan, don't you want to make new friends?"

He shook his head fiercely. "I hate kindergarten. I want to go home." This disturbed the teacher. He wasn't crying as other students would, being without their parents for the first time. There was evenness in his voice.

"Why do you want to go home, Syaoran-chan?" she asked.

"I don't like the clothes and I want to play with Sakura-chan." It was with this that Inoue-sensei got an idea to get Syaoran-chan to play.

She left him to his own devices and returned with a certain auburn-haired girl. "Sakura-chan, Syaoran-chan doesn't want to play with the other kids. Can you help me get him outside?"

Sakura nodded and stared into Syaoran's cute amber eyes. "Come on out, Syao-kame."

He looked at her strangely. "Why are you calling me Syao-kame?" he asked.

"Because you are acting like a turtle, hiding in your shell." She emphasized the turtle by hunching her head until her shoulders were above it. "If you don't come outside and play with us, they I am calling you calling you Syao-kame from now on." She crossed her arms in all finality. It was then that Syaoran gained a new respect for Sakura. He didn't realize that she could make him do anything that he normally didn't want to do.

"Will you play with me, Sakura-chan?" he asked in a very soft voice. "I am afraid to meet new people."

With that, she thwacked him on the head. "Silly, of course I will play with you, Syaoran-chan." Claiming his hand, Sakura all but dragged him outside where the other children were playing.

It was evident on Syaoran's face that he was having a good time and it was all because of Sakura. Inoue-sensei observed the two of them playing together with the other children. "The two of them are such a cute couple." She mused. With that, she prepared for the children's return and naptime.

It was then that Kurosaki-sensei came back in with the children. It was noon and time for the children's nap.

Within minutes, all of the children were sound asleep. Inoue-sensei and Kurosaki-sensei were talking over a cup of coffee.

"It seems like this year's bunch is different than last year's." Inoue-sensei smiled at the sleeping darlings.

"You always had a soft spot for children, Orihime." Kurosaki-sensei looked at her softly. "That's why you created this place." He received a smile in return. "And it seems that your thought patterns haven't changed at all. You might corrupt the children's minds with such nonsense." There was a slight sarcasm in his words and a slight smile.

"It's not nonsense, Ichigo. There were aliens and ninjas with super-awesome death rays and you beat them all up with your giant sword." She saw Ichigo roll his eyes and allowed her eyes wandered to Syaoran and Sakura sleeping next to each other. "I like Sakura-chan. She is a very lively girl and was even able to get Syaoran-chan to play with the other children."

"Humph! It seems that the kid is whipped by the girl and he doesn't even know it." The spiky haired teacher smiled as Inoue-sensei looked at him strangely. "He will understand the joys of being wrangled into doing whatever Kinomoto asks him to do."

"Are you saying that I have you whipped, Ichigo?" There was a smirk of understanding in her eyes.

"That would be a safe assumption." Their fingers intertwined as they watched to the sleeping Sakura and Syaoran.

"I wish them happiness and love." Inoue-sensei sighed.

* * *

That's the end of chapter three. And if you haven't guess, Inoue-sensei and Kurosaki-sensei are borrowed from Bleach. I thought that they would work well in this story. Next chapter is going to fast-forward to first grade. And it might a while because I will be typing the next chapter of the Harper Saga. 


	4. Sakura and Syaoran Sitting in a Tree

Chapter 4: Sakura and Syaoran Sitting in a Tree

* * *

Five-year-old Kinomoto Sakura twirled in a plaid blue sailor's uniform with a nametag of her name in Kanji. Today is going to be the first day of grade school. Although she didn't want to leave Inoue-sensei and Kurosaki-sensei, their encouragement was all that she needed to get going.

With her in the room was her best friend and cousin, Daidouji Tomoyo, in the same uniform with her nametag on also. "Sakura-chan, you look so kawaii in your uniform." The purple-haired girl commented.

"Arigato!" Sakura giggled as she twirled around again.

Tomoyo got out a disposable camera from her backpack and took some pictures. A tinge of pink came to the Cheery Blossom's cheek. "Tomoyo!" she whined. "Why must you take pictures every time I get new clothes?"

The purple-haired girl smirked. "Now, now, as your cousin and your bestest friend in the whole wide world, it would be wrong to you if I didn't take every chance to take pictures all of your first moments." Her arms flailed as she explained the reason of the camera.

"I will always take pictures of you." She said, her eyes glazing over as if in a dreamy trance. "From this moment to your prom and when you finally get married to Syaoran-kun."

This caused a major blush in the auburn-haired girl. "TOMOYO!" she shouted. "Syaoran-chan and I are friends. Plus, I hear that kissing boys makes you get cooties."

"Cooties?" Tomoyo cocked her head and furrowed her brow. "What are cooties?"

At that moment, Touya came through the door, grinning darkly at the two girls. "Cooties are little bugs that come when boys and girls kiss." The older guy told them. Both of the girls visibly paled at the thought of bugs. He got a creepy look in his eyes as he wiggled his fingers, scaring the two girls. "They are creepy crawly and nasty, plus they get into your lips and make them swell so that it covers your face."

It was at that time when Fujitaka appeared in the doorway, placing a hand on his son. "Why are you telling Sakura and Tomoyo such scary things, Touya?" He asked with a small smile.

"Aw, come on, otou-san." He whined. "It's not like they really believed me." When he looked at Sakura and Tomoyo, Touya saw two very shaken kids and blanched. "Err, Ah, …" And as he spouted out monosyllabic grunts, his father patted him on the shoulder, a smile on his face.

"I believe that the garbage is waiting for you take it out, Touya." Having no room for argument, the prepubescent boy went to complete the task his father asked him to do.

Sakura's father kneeled to a level where he would be eye to eye with his daughter. "Listen to me Sakura, there is no such thing as cooties. They are pretend just like the boogeyman."

At the mention of the boogeyman, the auburn-haired girl grabbed a hold of her father. "No, the boogeyman's gonna get me." She wailed.

Fujitaka sighed. Ever since her mother died, Sakura was afraid of sleeping by herself. She felt that the ghost of her mother has been haunting her and would not sleep the first couple of nights without some form of comfort, either sleeping in her father's bed or turning on a nightlight.

Though, ever since Syaoran slept over one time, her fear of the dark faded in a year's time. However, there was still the fear of things that go bump in the night and that hasn't disappeared. Even the mention of such things would send the little girl in a panic. He snorted to himself at how he could have forgotten about that.

Whispering comforting words to his daughter, the girl visibly calmed down. "Now let's not forget that you are going to first grade and if you stay here, then you will miss Syaoran."

At the mention of her friend's name, Sakura lit up. It was an instantaneous transformation. One minute she needed comforting and the next, she was happy. Fujitaka smiled at the sudden mood shift in his little girl. She was a very happy little girl.

As they are being led into the car by Sakura's father, the two girls prepare to be driven to a new experience, first grade.

Meanwhile, in another house, a young boy was just finished with his morning exercise. He was required to do some early morning running and some jumping jacks. It was to condition him for some of the more strenuous workouts later on in life.

Li Syaoran was preparing himself for the day. Wei, Syaoran's caretaker and his mentor, laid out his clothes for his first day of school. Dutifully, the little wolf got dressed. His uniform was a starch white shirt that had his name on it with navy plaid tie and dark blue slacks. This would be an important first year for him.

After a year in Japan, Yelan had to return to Hong Kong to lead the Li Clan in Syaoran's stead. However, when she tried to take Syaoran with her, it was an impossible task. The boy clung to every available surface. He was determined not to leave Japan. When she asked why, the once introverted Syaoran told her that he would not leave his best friend behind.

Yelan had to marvel at the influence that Sakura had over him. At the mention of plans with the Kinomoto family, the young boy would light up. Whenever Syaoran had a bad day, Yelan always had Sakura come over or send him to the Kinomoto house. One time, Syaoran slept over at Sakura's house and when he came back, he was so happy.

But unfortunately, the Clan Elders decided that the future leader of the Li family had spent enough time away from his home and ordered Yelan and Syaoran back home, hence Syaoran's resistance to the plan. Fortunately for the little wolf, a compromise was reached. Wei, the Li family's most trusted individual and the Li clan's tutor, agreed to stay with young Syaoran in Japan, making sure that he is excelling in his studies and receiving the physical training that the heirs of the clan are expected to receive. In return, he may stay with his friend, coming whenever the Elders ask him to, especially during school vacations and holidays.

And that brings us to today. Having gotten use to the itchy uniforms that the schools require him to wear, Syaoran took the lunch tin from the kitchen table and headed out of the door where the school bus was waiting for him. He entered the bus and it took him away to school.

Amid new faces and no familiar ones, Syaoran sat in the back, radiating an aura that made people stay away from him. That was fine. There was only one person that he wanted to see anyways. Hopefully, he would get to see her.

The school bus let off the children. They filed into the school in a sort of a molasses pool. It was a slow movement. It could be said of this that the children didn't want to go to school.

The first graders gathered into one of the classrooms and were going to be divided into homeroom. Syaoran was looking around for the one person that he really wanted to see above all others. He was worried that he would be separated from her. But, unfortunately, she wasn't there yet. However, he did find her cousin, Tomo-something or other. So, he decided to ask her if she had seen Sakura yet.

"Um, er, Sakura-chan's cousin." He murmured.

Tomoyo almost didn't here the call to her because first the boy was talking so low and second she wasn't used to being referred to as Sakura's cousin. So when she turned around and saw Syaoran, she was very surprised indeed.

The young girl had only seen Syaoran on a couple of occasions, more specifically when she visited Sakura's house. She would always see the two of them so happy playing by themselves. And it was even more fun when she joined. But returning to the two in question, there was almost a bond between them. Although she is young, Tomoyo can already tell that this boy was special. Perhaps they would be best friends forever.

"What is it, Syaoran-kun?" she asked. "Oh, and by the way, please call me Tomoyo."

"Tomoyo-kun, have you see Sakura-chan?" he asked.

"She went to use the little girl's room." She smiled. "Can't you wait?"

Syaoran blushed. Perhaps it would be good to wait. But at least she was here.

Sakura returned to the classroom with one of the teachers. She was being led towards the group. She saw her cousin and Syaoran talking to each other, so she made her way to the two.

"Syaoran-chan, you made it." The auburn-haired girl shouted. "So you found Tomoyo-chan. I really hope that we all get to be in the same class."

Syaoran nodded his agreement.

The teachers began calling out rolls for their students. It happened to be that all three of the children would be in the same class this year. That put a smile on all of their faces. From there, Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo were led into homeroom 1-4. And so the first day of school began.

Their teacher was a kind older woman by the name of Shiroku-sensei. This woman has light blond hair that was beginning to turn grey, a testament to her years in education. A smile was on her face as she led all of the children to their seats. As she introduced herself, she told the class of her likes and dislikes.

"So, when you introduced yourselves, please tell me something that you like." Shiroku-sensei asked.

The class went down the line, naming things like pets, toys, and activities. Tomoyo, since her last name was earlier, told the class that she liked to take pictures and play dress-up with her best friend. Sakura, when her turn came up, named playing at her house with her best friends.

"Okay, who is next?" Shiroku-sensei looked at her class roster. "Ah, here we are. Li Syaoran, please introduce yourself and tell us something that you like."

The amber-eyed boy got up hesitantly, a testimony to his nervousness. "Um, my name is Li Syaoran." He murmured under his breath.

"Um, can you speak louder?" The teacher asked.

Closing his eyes, the shy boy began to raise his voice. "My name is Li Syaoran. My family comes from China but I am allowed to stay if my grades are good and something I like is Sakura-chan." The words left his mouth before he had time to assess what he was going to say.

There was a pregnant pause for a space as Syaoran's face began to color red. Then everyone began to laugh. It was so embarrassing for the Little Wolf to blurt something out like that. He sat down in shame with his head on his desk.

Sakura, who was implicated in this, also colored red. However, the emerald-eyed girl could only feel for him. She so desperately wanted to comfort him. So she did the only thing she could think of at the time.

"Hey, leave Syaoran-chan alone." She shouted at the top of her lungs. Once again, there was a pause, but this time, there was also an aura of anger. Then laughter and teasing commence, which forced the young girl to sit down in embarrassment also.

The teacher brought order back to the class. "Class, please settle down now. There are some others who haven't been introduced to the class."

The rest of the students introduced themselves but neither Sakura nor Syaoran cared.

The lessons for the day began. First period was math where addition came to the fore. Second period was Japanese, where their grammatical skills were improved. Penmanship was next where the children were taught calligraphy.

From there, it was lunchtime. Shiroku-sensei led the children to the cafeteria where the other first graders were eating of their bentou lunches.

Syaoran, because of his embarrassment, decided that he wouldn't eat with Sakura at this time. So he found a corner of the cafeteria where there were very few people were eating and sat down. However, it was not to be as Sakura and Tomoyo found him and sat with him.

"Don't feel bad about what happened in class today, Syaoran-kun." Tomoyo told him with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, those kids were just being big meanies." Sakura followed. "So don't worry about it, Syaoran-chan."

Syaoran started to smile. He really was so happy. "Thank you, Sakura-chan, Tomoyo-kun."

The three of them ate lunch together, relating their own personal experiences of what happened today. Unfortunately, their happiness was not to last.

There was a spoiled little kid by the name of Reiko decided to pursue Syaoran's embarrassment further. So with a gang of some of his friends, he was prepared to cause trouble for the Little Wolf and the Cherry Blossom. It was to his absolute glee that they were sitting together. It was of no consequence that Tomoyo was there. Now, his fun could begin.

"Hey Li." The antagonist shouted at the young amber eyed boy. Syaoran turned around to see one of his classmates sneering at him. "I see that you are sitting with your girlfriend." This caused him to blush.

"Leave Syaoran-chan alone!" Sakura jumped out of her seat to defend her friend.

_Sakura and Syaoran sitting in a tree_

_K-I-S-S-I-N-G_

_First comes love, then comes marriage_

_Then comes the baby in the baby carriage._

The implicated parties in this child's rhyme blushed so furiously, it was almost as if the blood stopped rushing through their bodies and congregated to their faces.

"But should you kiss, you get the cooties." The mean child laughed evilly, enjoying the embarrassment that he was causing.

Reiko did not expect Sakura to push him. So, the surprise of that action took him off-balance and he fell ungracefully on his butt. "You big meanie, you leave Syaoran-chan and me alone." Sakura's actions shocked Syaoran. She was standing up for him and for that, he was grateful.

Reiko picked himself off the floor and pushed Sakura back. Unfortunately for the Cherry Blossom, she hit her head against the table. The pain caused her to cry.

The bully flinched for a second. It wasn't his intention to make Sakura cry. Now, he could get in trouble with the teacher.

Syaoran's face darkened when he saw his best friend get hurt. It made him mad. The bully would pay. The Little Wolf got out of his seat. Reiko flinched for a second when Syaoran came to the fore.

"_Syaoran-sama," Wei told him with a grim face. "I will be teaching you the martial arts as part of your training to become the Li Clan leader." It wasn't something that he wanted to do now. Syaoran was only five. Training him now could cause him to misuse his abilities to his own benefits. Plus, teaching a five-year-old to fight seemed preposterous to him. Later on in life, he could see, but right now, he was in the age of innocence._

_The five-year-old looked at his guardian with a curious face. "Martial arts, you mean like finger-painting?"  
_

_Wei smiled at the innocence of the young master. "No, I am afraid that is not part of the martial arts. Martial arts will deal with fighting to protect yourself and others."_

_Syaoran blanched. "But I don't want to fight."_

"_I know, Syaoran-sama. But the Clan Elders have instructed me to teach you to fight; otherwise, you will be required to return to China."_

_Syaoran did not want to leave his friend behind, so, in spite of his wishes not to fight, he prepared himself to be taught._

"_Now Syaoran-sama" Wei got down to the young master's eye level as he told him this. "If you take anything from this, I really hope that this is the first thing that I want you to remember. Never use what you learn from this training to your own benefit. Do not go looking for fights." He told one of Syaoran's hands and made it into a fist. "Do you see this fist? Use this fist to protect whomever or whatever you believe is important. Remember this. This fist was made to protect."_

Syaoran made a fist and stalked towards Reiko, fires in his eyes.

"_Please repeat after me, Syaoran-sama." Wei asked. "This fist was made to protect."_

"_This fist was made to protect." Syaoran repeated._

"_Please say it again."_

_This fist was made to protect. This fist was made to protect. This fist was made to protect. This fist was made to protect._

"This fist was made to protect." Syaoran shouted at the top of his lungs causing all eyes, especially the eyes of the bully, to be on him. He let fly his fist into Reiko, knocking him down and giving the recipient a bruised cheek.

Reiko was silent for a little bit. The tears welled up in his eyes and he wailed loudly. Teachers ran from all sides to separate the children. After the tears subsided from Sakura and Reiko, all three were called to the Principal's office.

The three children sat down in the Principal's office in shame as the parents were informed. This was really not how they wanted to spend the first day.

Ten minutes later, Sakura's father, Reiko's mother, and Syaoran's guardian entered the Principal's office, being informed of what the children did at lunchtime.

The principal, a stout, balding man, looked at Reiko first. "Reiko-san, you are not allowed to tease people."

"I'm sorry." He hung his head in shame.

"Sakura-san, you are not allowed to push people." The principal told her. "If you are being teased, you are to tell a teacher. Do you understand?"

"Yes." She responded guiltily.

"And, Syaoran-san, you are not allowed to hit people. Just because Reiko-san was teasing the two of you, that does not give you a right to hit. You could have really hurt someone."

"I am sorry." The amber-eyed boy closed his eyes in remorse.

"As punishment, the three of you are going to clean up the classroom after school." The principal decreed. "Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes." The three responded in synch.

After the decree, the three children were led back to class to continue lessons.

Syaoran, strangely, had a spring in his step. He looked at his best friend. Though he got trouble for fighting, he couldn't help but be proud of himself. This was a big change from the once introverted Syaoran. He would continue Wei's training without fail. He wanted to be strong so that he could protect her.

Anyone who messed with his friends would feel the wrath of his fist. Syaoran made a vow to himself. He would always protect her. No one will tease her and get away with it. His fist was made to protect Sakura.

* * *

Author's End Notes: I am not dead, just busy. So I have decided to grace all of you with a new chapter.

Someone in a message asked me why I was jumping from year to year and not staying in one place. I will answer that now. This fic is going to be looking at the important events in Sakura and Syaoran's lives that will lead to the creation of the couple. So, as you remember some events in your life because of something significant, this story will do the same thing. Each chapter will deal with an important event.

So that's the plan. Next chapter will jump a whole three years into fourth grade and will deal with Valentine's Day. A good chapter to be sure, so stay tuned. Same bat time, same bat channel.


	5. Valentine's Day

Chapter 5: Valentine's Day 

Author's Note: I was a little depressed when I looked at the review inbox. Only two for the last chapter? Really makes me sad. Am I really that boring to readers?

* * *

Fourth grade is an interesting year for love. Children realize that the opposite sex is _cool_ and they try to have friendships with them. It is also around the grade that they realize that their bodies are changing.

February is also an interesting month for love. With the advertisements on the assorted holiday goodies and commercials reminding people to give the ones they love something 'special', it is a grand spectacle reds, whites, and pinks.

Thursday February 13, Valentine's Day's Eve

This is the day were those who have procrastinated in finding a gift for that special someone rush out in mad droves. Syaoran was among those who were looking for something.

His body, because of the training that the Li Clan Elders made him undergo, was starting to take definition. He was also growing taller. Now, he was taller than Sakura by a head's length; but that can be also due to growth spurts. Because of this, he was usually the first picked for physical education and is one of the rising stars of the school's soccer team.

But back to the reason why he was looking for a present… it all started this afternoon.

There was going to be a big fair at the school today. The local middle school was building booths in the gym and auditorium so that the kids would have a fun time for tomorrow.

Sakura, Syaoran and Tomoyo were admiring the preparations being made for tomorrow.

"Wow! It's so pretty." Sakura said in awe. "Look at all the pink and red."

"Yeah," Tomoyo responded. "Just think what will happen tomorrow when the fair starts."

The threesome walked away from the auditorium and started heading home.

"So," Sakura asked no one in general, "who's going to give Valentine presents?"

Syaoran looked at Sakura. "What do you mean?"

"Well, isn't that the point of Valentine's Day?" The green-eyed girl asked. "Don't boys and girls give gifts to the people that they like?"

Syaoran, for his part, was dumbfounded. But Tomoyo, who was probably on the same wavelength as her friend, turned her head in Sakura's direction and smirked surreptitiously. "So, who's the lucky guy?"

Sakura was unfazed by the question. "It's not just one guy. I am giving gifts to all of my friends and family."

That was Sakura for you. Syaoran, over the years, had watch Sakura from childhood into a soon to be middle school girl. She was the center of attention; however, she wasn't conceited as some girls would be. She was also a bit naïve but that only added to her charm. Sakura was kind indiscriminately and had a cheery smile on her face. In a nutshell, that was Kinomoto Sakura.

"That's exactly a Sakura-chan answer, Sakura-chan." Syaoran smiled.

"Of course, it's a Sakura-chan answer." The emerald-eyed girl responded in kind. "What other answer could I give, Syaoran-kun?"

Ever since 2nd grade, Sakura had given up the endearment –chan, opting to go for something more appropriate for a boy. On occasion, she did call him by the endearment, but only when she was miffed at him or wanted to tease him.

"So," Sakura had a sly look about her. "Do you have a special somebody that you are going to give a gift to, Syaoran-chan?'"

The look on Syaoran's face was priceless. He turned sheet-white and looked like a fish. His eyes were bulging out, perhaps they would come out of his socket. It had to be the funniest thing Sakura had ever seen him do.

Tomoyo, purposely staying out of the conversation, watch the exchange between her best friends. It was really funny. Because of their closeness, there was a rumor or two floating around that they were going out. And why wouldn't they think that? Their friendship allowed them to be natural, almost as if they were of one mind. If not for the fact most people knew that they were best friends since they were very young, the rumor mill would be selling the story like hot cakes, or so the expression goes.

"Um, I didn't buy any for anybody?" The amber-eyed boy answered, scratching his head in embarrassment.

Sakura just looked at him for a second, her face not changing. Then she did something unexpected. She laughed very hard, so hard that the emerald-eyed girl collapsed to her knees. "Wow. You really had me for a second." She answered, still prone to giggles here and there. "I thought that you were serious."

Syaoran didn't want to disappoint her. "Uh, yeah. I wasn't serious." He said weakly. "You caught me." Then came a fake smile. "I really thought I was going to fool you. But you are just too smart for me."

Sakura poked his nose. "And don't you forget it." With that, she happily skipped off home, leaving him and Tomoyo behind.

"You didn't buy her anything, did you Syaoran-kun?" Tomoyo asked. Syaoran shook his head.

"I never really thought about it." He responded. "Besides, I don't want to imply anything. Sakura-chan is my friend and there is nothing beyond that."

Tomoyo just smiled at him. "Well, you can get her something that symbolizes your friendship."

"Any ideas?"

So Tomoyo gave him the address of an arts and crafts store. She told him that if he made something, it would be a much better present than if he just bought something.

However, Syaoran had soccer practice that day and, being one of the star players, he could not break that engagement, even to get something for Sakura. He would not be free until six o'clock.

Unfortunately for him, when that time came, Syaoran had only one hour until the shop closed and it was on the other side of town. The amber-eyed boy cursed his luck. There was no way that he would be able to make it in time. "The only thing that would make things worse is if it started to rain." He thought.

Syaoran heard something that sounded like thunder. It figures it would rain, he thought. But as he looked in the sky, the little wolf did not see storm clouds.

"Oi gaki, how long are you going to stare into the sky with that blank look on your face." A voice asked him.

Syaoran turned his head to the origin of the voice and saw someone with black hair standing next a red car. He recognized the person as Kinomoto Touya, Sakura's older brother.

"Touya-san…" The words died on his lips.

Touya, now 16, had been driving for about a month or two. His relationship with Syaoran as Sakura's friend was a contentious one at best. Because Syaoran was Sakura friend while growing up, he really had no objections to him coming over. He forced politeness for the sake of both his father and his sister. But he was a boy. Eventually, Touya knew that Syaoran would stop seeing Sakura as just a friend and would look at her as something more. Most likely he might try to start a relationship with her. And although Syaoran was a better choice than other boys because he had known him longer, Touya felt that he should still continue protecting his little sister. And it didn't hurt to put fear into Syaoran. Best to be sure that the gaki didn't try anything until he was damn sure that he and Sakura would be together forever.

"What are you still doing here, gaki?" he asked.

Syaoran twitched. He never did like that name. However, Touya was older and stronger than he, but more importantly, he was Sakura's older brother. It would hurt her if he got into a fight with him. So he refrained from doing anything except trade insults once in a while.

"I need to get across town to a store before it closes." Syaoran responded. "I just don't know how I am going to do that."

"Where is the store exactly? I'll take you there."

Syaoran gave Touya the address Tomoyo gave him. "An arts and crafts store?" Touya asked. "Are you turning Home Ec. on me?" Touya liked the look on Syaoran's face when he made the joke. It was a cross between a blush, a scowl and surprise. "Get in."

Syaoran did want he was told and got in. Touya also got in the car and put it into drive.

"Why are you going to an arts and crafts store?" Touya asked in all seriousness.

"Tomoyo-kun wrangled me into getting something for Sakura-chan on Valentine's Day." It wasn't a total lie, he surmised. Tomoyo did convince him to make something for Sakura, but if he was honest with himself, he just didn't want to see a crestfallen Sakura when he showed up on Valentine's Day giftless.

"And this has nothing to do with your own feelings?" Touya wasn't sure how Syaoran felt about Sakura beyond friendship or vice-versa. He knew that they were of that age where feelings start to intensify but neither show signs of that happening.

"I just don't want to see Sakura-chan sad." He responded evenly.

Touya sighed. It seems as if the gaki has the right idea.

Within fifteen minutes, the car stopped at the arts and crafts store which was in a mall complex. Syaoran ran in while Touya waited in the car. It would be better if the gaki chooses the gift by himself rather than having his own opinions of a gift imposed. It was Syaoran's gift after all.

In ten minutes, Syaoran came out of the store with a full plastic bag in his hand and a smile on his face. He requested that Touya take him home so that he could work on his present.

In the Kinomoto household, Sakura and Tomoyo were having a slumber party. It was getting late and the two were in Sakura's room preparing for bed. The girls were in the nighttime clothes and were just talking about stuff over cake and milk. The topics ranged from school to television. Basically, the object was to tire themselves out from talking. As they were talking about Sakura's cheerleading, the topic slinked over to Syaoran and the soccer team.

"Are you going to Syaoran-kun's game next week, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked. She knew that she had to be there because the cheerleaders were rallying the school to root for the home team. Not that she wouldn't have gone if she didn't have to be there. Sakura would have been there to cheer on her longtime friend.

"Of course, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo responded. "I have to be there to videotape you in that cute cheerleading outfit of yours."

Tomoyo, perhaps because of her fascination with capturing precious moments or because of being the daughter of Daidouji Sonomi, the head of the research and development at one the most successful electronics companies, had taken to videotaping everything and anything. And of course, her favorite subject was that of her cousin and best friend, Sakura.

"I hope they win." Sakura hoped. "Syaoran-kun has been working so hard."

Since Sakura was the one to bring him up, Tomoyo decided now would be a good time to ask the question. "So did you do anything for Valentine's Day?"

"Of course." She replied in the same beat. "I have made cookies for everybody. I think I made five or six batches."

"Anything else?" Tomoyo asked.

"Well, I got otou-san a card, onii-chan a tiny monster plushy, and you a locket." There was a small blush on her face as she was going through the list.

"What about Syaoran-kun?" she asked.

"Tomoyo-chan, is it weird to give a boy a Valentine's Day present if you don't like him like him?" Her voice got so tiny. It almost was like she was talking to herself.

"Well it depends. What did you get him?" Tomoyo could see that the conversation was becoming uncomfortable. If her friend didn't answer, she wouldn't push it.

"I didn't get him anything. I made him a present." Sakura sighed, almost as if a heavy burden was removed from her.

"Well, I think it's all about the intent." Tomoyo declared in an instance of wisdom. "If you give the gift as a friend would give a gift, then the gift would be one of friendship."

Sakura's bright emerald eyes opened in understanding. "You're right. You gave me an idea."

She went to her dresser and, in the first drawer, picked up a plastic bag.

The morning came with the singing of the birds. It was a sunny and warm day, perfect for Valentine's Day. Sakura, who would normally sleep until her alarm clock blared at her, woke up with the first hints of sunlight hitting her eyes. The emerald-eyed girl made her way to the bathroom and cleaned herself up. Within a few minutes, a showered and freshened Sakura emerged, ready to make breakfast.

Sakura liked making food. She learned at an early age with simple stuff such as spaghetti and Mac and Cheese. However, she was limited to what she could make with the use of her stepstool and her short reach. When she was able to see the stove without the use of the stepstool, she tried her hand at more complicated foods like pancakes, eggs and other breakfast foods. And that was what she was doing now.

As the smell of deliciousness wafted up to the bedrooms, Fujitaka, Touya, and Tomoyo made their way to the table.

"Happy Valentine's Day." Sakura proclaimed to her breakfast guests. She then served everyone their food and went upstairs to get each one their gifts. She handed each one to their respective recipients: Fujitaka a card with a little girls handing a flower to an older man, Touya a Godzilla-type plushy with the words 'From your little kaijuu' emblazoned on the stomach, and Tomoyo a friendship locket with the engraving 'Best friends forever' on it.

In return, Sakura was given Valentine gifts. From her father, she received a promise ring that used to be her mother's, a teal band slipped over her middle finger, the only digit big enough that it wouldn't fall easily. Even so, it was still a size or two too big. From her brother, she received a pair of hairpins with a little monster design on it. Sakura was miffed for a second but the smile on her brother's face was one of happiness and not one of teasing. "Since you've already established that you're my kaijuu, I thought it appropriate to make sure that you never forget that." He told her. And as for Tomoyo, she returned the 'best friends forever' locket with a 'best friends forever' bracelet.

With the gift giving done, Sakura and Tomoyo prepared to go to the fair. Sakura dressed in a pink shirt with jeans, making sure to wear the presents that she got today. She also took Syaoran's Valentine gift, which she put in a drawstring backpack. Tomoyo dressed in a light blue long-sleeved shirt with a purple skirt. They were ready. They left the house around 10 o'clock.

Since it was a nice day, the two girls decided to walk to the fair at the school. They were talking about all of the activities that they would do.

A blazing alarm tried to wake up its owner, but to no avail. The owner was dead tired, staying up to finish a gift for a special person. He didn't even bother hitting the snooze button because he couldn't even hear it under the covers.

There was a polite knock at the door. Without waiting for an answer, Wei let himself in. The servant to the future Li Clan leader turned off the alarm and shook his charge awake. "Syaoran-sama, I think that you would want to get up." Wei told him softly.

The young boy poked his head out of the covers. "What time is it?" he asked groggily.

"It's 10:30, Syaoran-sama." Wei told him.

In the span of a single breath, Syaoran got out of bed and into the shower, chastising himself for sleeping so late into the morning. Wei just smirked and got out Syaoran's gift and put it next to his clothes for the day on his bed. The servant immediately went to the kitchen to prepare a quick breakfast for the young master.

Syaoran got out of the shower and look on his bed. He saw the present next to his clothes. Mentally remembering to thank Wei, he got dressed in a light green shirt and khaki slacks. He took Sakura's gift in his hands and proceeded downstairs.

Wei passed a bowl of cereal across the table. He knew that Syaoran wanted to leave immediately and, as such, he made him a breakfast that would quickly get him out of the house. Syaoran quickly devoured the cereal.

"Thank you, Wei." Syaoran said after polishing off the bowl.

"I live to serve, Syaoran-sama." Wei was one for not taking compliments for his job. But even so, he knew that the smile of the young master was thanks enough. "How are your hands, Syaoran-sama?"

Syaoran looked at his hands. There were bandages on a couple of his fingers and some of the fingers were red. Such is the price of making a good gift for Sakura. "They'll heal." And it was true. They will heal. He was willing to go through a little pain for Sakura's sake.

"If that is the case, then I suggest that you leave if you wish not to keep Sakura-san waiting." That was the trigger that cause Syaoran to jump out of his seat and run to the coat closet, making sure, of course, to take Sakura's gift in his hands. Pulling on a black hoodie, he ran out the door, leaving in his wake a smiling Wei.

The fair was amazing. Most of it was indoors but some of it, especially some of the mechanical rides were outside in one of the soccer fields. Inside, there were prize booths giving out fantastic rewards for completing games of skills. There were arcades were kids could go against one another to see who was the best in such and such activity. There was food booths were they were giving out tasty treats for those who had the money. And there were shows at the stage of the auditorium. Clowns, magicians, skilled artisans of whatever craft they mastered came before the stage and entertained the crowd.

In the midst of this was Sakura, she was looking for her friend. It had been a half-hour since she arrived and there was no sign of the little wolf who she called her friend. It was easy to lose someone in a crowd as big as this and difficult to find someone whom you haven't seen all day. But if anything, Sakura was not a quitter. She would look until she found him.

Sakura was about to look outside to see if Syaoran was there went she bumped into someone. She apologized and looked into his face. It was one of the boys in her class but for some reason, his name wasn't coming to her recollection. "I'm sorry." She apologized.

"No worries." The boy responded. The boy had light blond hair and grey eyes. He was wearing a white shirt and jeans. "I know that it was an accident, Kinomoto-san."

Now she felt bad. The boy knew her name but she didn't know his. Sakura grimaced. "I'm sorry. I can't remember your name, even though I know that you are in my class."

"Again, no worries." The boy told her. "My name is Chiba Daisuke." He held out a hand, expecting her to shake it, which she did. "I hope that we can become friends." He smiled widely, closing his eyes and showing some teeth.

Sakura smiled back. "I hope so, too." With that, she left, still looking for her friend.

Outside, there was a giant spinning top ride, an egg-beater ride, and a rock-climbing wall. There was a long line on each of the ride. But Sakura was not interested in those rides yet. There was someone that she needed to see first before she could enjoy anything here. And then she saw him. He was running into the school grounds. Obviously, he must have overslept because it was a quarter to noon when he arrived. And one could tell that he was exhausted because he stopped right outside the gate to catch his breath.

Sakura waved to Syaoran to get his attention. He saw her wave to him and slowly made his way to her.

"Syaoran-kun, you made it." Sakura was happy. Her friend was here and that's all that mattered. It was the only Valentine gift that she really wanted.

"Did you think that I wouldn't make it?" Syaoran asked with a smile. "I'm insulted, Sakura-chan."

Sakura laughed. Leave it to Syaoran to make light of everything. "Well, now that you're here, let's start going on the rides and enjoying the fair."

As Sakura was about to leave, Syaoran grabbed her hand. She stopped and looked at her friend expectantly. "What is it, Syaoran-kun?" She had never seen such intensity in his eyes. His amber eyes glowed hotly, a fire that would probably consume her. It was a fire that she would willingly let consume her.

"I got you something, Sakura." He whispered, as if he was unsure of himself. He dug into the pockets of his hoodie and gave her his gift. It was a yellow lion plushy. It had little angel wings and a long thing tail with a tiny fluff ball at the end. On the stomach of the plushy was a stitching. It read 'Friends Forever' and there were Kanji symbols of Sakura and Syaoran's names.

Tears started to form in Sakura's eyes. Syaoran blanched. Of all the expressions that he was expecting, tears were not among them. "I'm sorry that it's bad." The amber-eyed boy apologized. "I can return it if you want."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't want you to do that. I love it." She hugged the plushy fiercely. "It's probably one the best gifts that I have ever gotten. Thank you, Syaoran-kun."

It made him smile when he heard that. All of the pain, all of the accidental stabbings with the sewing needle, all of the bandages that he applied, all of it was worth it when he heard Sakura say that she loved it.

"Before I forget, let me give you your gift." Sakura took off her drawstring backpack and took out a bag of cookies and a similar lion plushy. The only difference was in the stitching and the color. While the one that Syaoran made was gold in color, the one that Sakura made was black. The stitching on the front read "Happy … day" with a heart between the words as if to represent Valentine's Day.

Syaoran took the cookies and the lion plushy with gratitude. "I think I'll name it Suppi. What will you name yours?" Syaoran asked.

"I think mine looks like a Kero." Sakura told him. "Yeah, I'll call him Kero."

Sakura offered her hand to Syaoran. "Come on, Syaoran-kun. Let's go on all of the rides and have fun today."

Syaoran took her hand and the two of them went to the fair, hand-in-hand.

* * *

Author's Note. Please Be Kind. Don't rewind but leave me a review. 


	6. Hong Kong Song

**Chapter 6: Hong Kong Song

* * *

  
**

Before I begin the story, allow me to address a couple of comments left by reviewers.

–chan, -san, -kun, -sama: Four common suffixes that Japanese people attach to people's names as a way of identifying the relationship of the people.

-san – Usually given to people you don't know well and/or to people you respect. This one is most common.

-kun – Given to those you have a familiarity with, like a friend or a relative. Normally, girls attach this to a boy's name if they are friendly in some way with him. But, it doesn't have to be just boys. I address a good female friend of mine Amarie-kun.

-chan – A term of endearment. Little children usually address each other as –chan or elder siblings as onii-chan and onee-chan respectively. My girlfriend's little sister addresses me as Leon-chan.

-sama – Whenever one uses this, it means that you have a great deal of respect for the person. It's pretty rare that this is used but it is truly shows how much this person means to you if you are addressing him/her as –sama. I have heard it used for addressing a mother/father-in-law and in addressing social equals or betters. As it is showing great respect, I address my girlfriend as Rayne-sama.

There is another suffix that is a bit rarer than the four above, -tachi. It means "and others" when "others" is understood. For example, in this sentence "Sakura-tachi went to the mall." Sakura-tachi is understood to be Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo.

These suffixes are gender neutral and can be used in various ways depending on voice (respectful, mocking) and situation.

When I write that a person's body is changing, I mean it in various ways, not just in puberty sense. Because I am focusing on certain years and times and skipping others, I have to address what has happened in the years that I have skipped. In chapter four, Sakura and Syaoran were about 4 to 5 years old; in chapter 5, they are 9 to 10. So, in between that time, things have changed. They have grown bigger, become more mature, developed different hobbies and even the nature of their relationship has change. Notice that I had Sakura address Syaoran as Syaoran-kun when, in the previous chapter, he was addressed as Syaoran-chan. And these changes will have an effect on how the story unfolds.

"Yo, when are they going to kiss? Stop drawing it out" Because the story begins when they are little, it is going to be different than an "Enter the lover" fics. An "Enter the Lover" fic begins with the main character and his/her life before the love interest arrives and changes that for the better/worse. I am sure that many of you have a best friend that you have known for a long time. And to turn around one day and say "I am in love with my best friend" would truly be unbelievable. No one does that. Instead, that kind of love comes gradually. This is what I am doing with the story. The goal IS Saku/Syao but it's going to take a long time before it gets there. So be patient.

Now, by way of the grammatical subjunctive voice, let us continue the story.

* * *

It was all done but the waiting. Sakura knew that she has accomplished what she set out to do. Now, all that was left was the waiting. She looked at the clock, 2:58. Damn clock. How dare it run backwards! Perhaps, if she concentrated hard enough, it would move faster. Screw the watched pot theory! She focused her energies towards the time keeper. Bullets of sweat dripped down her forehead. And then, the clock obeyed. It was 2:59. She exhaled sharply. It worked. Now comes the crucial moment. She stared at the infernal machine. Move… move… move… move… move…move

The clock struck three and the bell rung. Thus freedom was obtained and fourth grade was completed

"Class dismissed!" The teacher announced. "Enjoy your summer vacation."

There was a collective cheer. Finally, it was summer. No more homework, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks and whatnot. Sakura had several weeks of doing whatever she wanted without the interruption of the education system.

The summer breeze felt wonderful on her skin and through her hair. The rest of the day was hers to do with it as she willed.

The first thing she wanted to do is to check up on her friend, Syaoran. He wasn't in class today and she wanted to know why. Hopefully he was well. With her skates on her feet, she moved her way from the school yard to her friend's house. For some strange reason, she felt the need to hurry.

Within ten minutes of so, she arrived at the quaint house of her friend. What she saw surprised her. There were a bunch of bags at the opened front door. This confused her. Walking to the door, she knocked politely.

"Hello! Syaoran?" Sakura called out into the house.

An older gentleman approached the door. He had the look of a middle-aged man with salt and pepper and a red vest. His appearance was one of suave compliance. He was Wei, Syaoran's butler and caretaker. "Wei-san, hello." She greeted

"Ahh, Sakura-sama, how are you?" Wei greeted back.

"I am fine. Where is Syaoran-kun?"

"He is inside, packing up for his trip."

Sakura scrunched up her face in confusion. "A trip? A trip where?"

Wei answered back with even keel. "Syaoran is heading back to Hong Kong for the summer. He didn't tell you?"

Sakura remembered. Every summer and Christmas season, Syaoran went back home to visit his family. It must have slipped her mind this time. She was happy that Syaoran was going back home to see his family but it made her sad that her friend was not going to be around this summer. There was going to be some summer events happening, especially a water park which was having a grand opening.

"Is it alright if I go see him upstairs, Wei-san?" Sakura asked.

"I am sure that he would appreciate it, Sakura-sama." He allowed her to come in the house. Syaoran's house had a Spartan look to it. There was no unnecessary furniture. A quaint couch adorned the living room and a plasma television, the only item even remotely expensive, hung over the fireplace. A staircase on the left wall led her up to three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Considering that only Syaoran and Wei were the only people who lived here all year round, it was accommodative, if not a bit pricey. Sakura and Tomoyo have spent nights in the third bedroom; it has also housed Syaoran's mom, Yelan, and his sisters... Sakura forgot their names.

She ascended the stairs and worked her way towards Syaoran's room. There were two suitcases outside the bedroom. She knocked on the door and Syaoran, who was kneeling by his dresser, looked up and saw his best friend. "Sakura-chan, what are you doing here?"

"I didn't see you at school today so I came to see what's happening. Then Wei-san reminded me that you are going back home for the summer."

"Yeah. I didn't tell you?" the boy asked. "I am going to be leaving in about a week and won't be coming back until a week before summer vacation is done."

"It must have slipped your mind. It's okay." She smiled. "I know how important it is to see your family."

"I'm not only visiting Mom and my sisters. It's the clan elders." Syaoran then covered his mouth. He didn't realize that he told Sakura about the elders. Now he was going to have to explain his family's social positions. It wasn't like he was trying to hide it from her. It's just that that was another discussion for another time.

"Elders? Like grandpas and grandmas?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran smiled. "Yeah, something like that." He was glad he didn't have to explain.

"Wow, it must be cool in Hong Kong. I wish that I could go." She sighed, imagining the fun that she might have if she was going

And through that aspiration, Syaoran got an idea. What IS stopping Sakura from coming with him back to his family's house? He then wondered if it was possible. "If I ask my mother if it's okay and she says yes, would you consider coming to Hong Kong with me?"

Sakura brightened. When Syaoran saw the look in her eyes, her countenance lighting up, he felt a syrupy feeling in his body. It was strange. The feeling permeated his entire body.

"I would have to ask Dad if it's okay" she told him, "but if he says yes and your mom says yes, then I would love to go."

Syaoran smiled wanly. "I'll call my mother tonight. Talk to your father and we'll go from there."

Sakura nodded and said her goodbyes.

* * *

That night, Sakura and her father were at the table. Touya was hanging out with Yukito and some friends. As they were finishing their meal, Sakura brought up the subject.

"Dad, can I ask you a hypothetical question?" Sakura asked, setting her emerald eyes to puppy-dog mode.

Fujitaka smiled. It's the puppy-dog eyes. That face was reserved for big favors. The last time it was used was when she wanted a new bike. However, they didn't have the money at the time. So they compromised. Sakura would take on more chores for two months in exchange for a new bike. It worked out for everybody. She got the bike and the house has never looked cleaner.

"Hypothetical question? Go on."

"Well, Syaoran is leaving in a week to head back to Hong Kong... you know, to see his family and such. And as we were talking, we had this idea that I could go with him. He said that he would ask his mother if it was alright. So... hypothetically, if she said yes, would it be possible if I could go for the summer as well?"

"Sakura, you know how I don't like you making big plans without coming to me first." He took a sip from his cup and the mood became somber. "Hong Kong is not a trip to Tomoyo's or Syaoran's house. It's far away where it will be difficult to reach you if something happens. I know Yelan-san is a good woman. However, being that far away is going to make me worry."

Sakura's face dropped. She didn't realize how much of a toll it would be on her father.

"However, if Yelan-san says yes, then I would have no problems, provided that you at least call me every other day just so I know that you're safe."

Sakura smiled. Her part of the job was done.

On the other side of the coin, Syaoran was working up some courage. He had never asked for a big favor of his mother ever since he asked to live here in Tomoeda so many years ago. That was a **BIG** favor. But, he promised Sakura he would try. His mother was a rather stern woman. Convincing her would be no small task but he would try.

Before he picked up the phone, he mused on that syrupy feeling. He had seen Sakura smile many times. It would not have been a jump to say that Sakura was liberal with her smiles. But it was the first time that he had ever been affected that way by her smile. They have been best friends ever since they were little. In fact, he could not remember a day that Sakura was not in his life. However, that feeling....

He filed it in the back of his mind to peruse at a later date. Summoning his willpower, Syaoran reached for the phone and dialed his mother's number.

He could hear the ringing in his ear and his throat got dry. Once, twice, three times.... every time the phone rang, his courage slipped away further until...

"Li Residence?" The voice on the other line answered.

"This is Xiao Lang. I wish to speak with my mother." Syaoran responded.

"Please hold on a second." The person on the other end put down the receiver and presumably left to find Yelan. The next voice that the Little Wolf heard was his mother.

"Is that you, my son?" Yelan answered.

"Yes, mother."

"Is there something that you need to ask me that couldn't wait until you arrived home in a week's time? Or is it that you wanted to hear my voice?" There was a playful tone to her voice. It made Syaoran smile.

"Can't it be both?" He quipped.

"What happened?"

"Well, I was talking with Sakura-chan about me going back to Hong Kong and I was thinking that, if it was okay with her father, she could come with me. I want to show her Hong Kong, especially during the summer time."

Yelan smiled. She figured it had something to do with Sakura. She had been such a good influence on Syaoran, turning him away from his introverted self into a social butterfly. From what she had heard, he had joined the soccer team and had increased his circle of friends. Even the Elders, who had once been against sending the future heir to Japan, had agreed that this was the right move and allowed him to stay this long. That girl.... Kinomoto Sakura was a miracle worker. Syaoran had always taken a shine to her. It wasn't that far off to imagine her as her daughter-in-law. In fact, she would be thrilled. However, that was a long way off and they were only ten. But, perhaps in a couple of years, they would be dating each other. She would approve of that in a heartbeat.

"Well, I will talk to Sakura-chan's father. But if he has no problem with it, then I don't either." Yelan told him.

Syaoran was jumping up and down... on the inside at least. But he couldn't stop a smile that creeped across his face. "Do you have Kinomoto-san number?" He asked.

* * *

The two parents talked and it was official. Sakura was allowed to go to Hong Kong for the summer. In a week's time, Sakura was packed and ready to go. The flight was leaving from Tokyo to Hong Kong in 3 hours. It would take an hour to get from Sakura's house to the Tokyo airport. Sakura and Syaoran were spending their last hour in Tomoeda before they headed to Hong Kong for the summer. Tomoyo had finished packing one of Sakura's suitcases with disposable cameras... for taking lots of pictures. Touya had finished putting all of Sakura and Syaoran's suitcases in his father's car.

Touya pulled Syaoran aside after the packing to talk to him privately. "I hope don't have to remind about this. Sakura is in your hands."

Syaoran batted Touya's hand away. "I know what you're going to say. Keep her safe or I'll hurt you."

"Let me finish." Touya sighed. He pinched his brow. "Sakura trusts you, perhaps as much as me. And I know that you will watch out for her. However, the two of you are going to a place where I can't protect her or watch her."

Syaoran was touched. He knew that Touya loved his little sister. However, he had never been vocal about it... at least to him. Syaoran saw a soft look in his eyes.

"She's only been to Tokyo once." Touya told Syaoran. "She's never left the country." The soft look in his eyes was gone and replaced with a very evil look. "And, allow me to give you your requisite. If any harm comes to her, they will be finding your body for weeks."

Sakura came at that moment, a direct contrast to the mood. "What are you guys talking about?" She asked.

Touya smirked. "Just guy stuff, kaijuu."

The cherry blossom gave a miffed look. "I'm not a kaijuu." She huffed indignantly. "Anyways, we're ready to go."

Touya nodded and allowed Syaoran to go to the car. Sakura followed him. In the hour, the two of them were at the airport. After getting taking an hour and a half to get through security and lugging around the luggage, Sakura and Syaoran finally got on the plane heading to Hong Kong. Syaoran put his mp3 player in his ear and pressed play, preparing himself for the long flight ahead. He was the epitome of calmness.

Sakura, on the other hand, was a bit nervous. She had never been on a plane. She clutched the handles tightly. Syaoran noticed this. "Are you okay?"

Sakura smiled weakly. "I've never been on a plane before. I'm a bit nervous."

Syaoran offered his hand. "Here. Hold my hand. When the plane takes off, squeeze it as hard as you can."

Sakura took his hand meekly. As soon as she did that, she felt a jolt.

It was weird. She had never felt that jolt before now. She assumed that it was a static shock, nothing more. It wasn't as if the plane had taken off yet. Maybe it was pre-flight jitters. Yeah, that's the ticket.

The plane took off and Sakura squeezed Syaoran's hand as hard as she could. Syaoran could only smile. He couldn't remember his first time on a plane. He traveled by plane ever since he was little. Perhaps the first time was with his father. Like Sakura and her mother, Syaoran had little memory of his father. His sisters, whenever they were reminded of something that their father did, they would stop and breathe hard, as if punched in the stomach. Then their eyes would well up with tears. Syaoran avoided this because of his lack of memory. It couldn't be helped.

As the plane stabilized and flew across the sky smoothly, Sakura let go of Syaoran's hand and calmed down. She smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry about the hand, Syaoran-kun." She whispered.

Syaoran shrugged his shoulders. "S'aright. Everyone gets jittery their first flight, Sakura-chan. Now, it's best to just sleep. It's about four hours from Tokyo to Hong Kong, not counting the time difference."

"Okay."

Syaoran's eyes closed and he drifted to sleep. Sakura followed suit.

* * *

Syaoran woke up three hours later, a bit drowsy. He found Sakura still asleep on his shoulder. She looked so peaceful sleeping. Syaoran found it cute. He didn't want to wake her so he let her sleep. He continued listening to his music when the pilot's voice came through on the intercom.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thanks to a good tailwind, we will be arriving at Hong Kong in 10 minutes. Please keep your seatbelts on until the plane has come to a complete stop."

Syaoran, after hearing this, nudged Sakura awake. She woke up and blinked a couple of times, unsure if she was awake. She looked around and found Syaoran looking at her. "We are about to land." He told her. Sakura nodded.

When the plane made a complete stop, Sakura and Syaoran rose from their seat and exited the plane. From there, the duo went to baggage claim, picked up their luggage and headed out the airport, looking for Syaoran's mother who was going to pick them up from there.

Outside the loading area of the airport, Li Yelan waited for her son and his friend to arrive with her chauffeur. It has been several months since she had lain eyes on Syaoran and it has been a year or two since she had seen Sakura. Now she was going to see them both. It had always done her heart good to see Syaoran. She had agonized the first time she had left Syaoran in Tomoeda. It wasn't that he wasn't in good hands with Wei. It was just the notion of leaving her son in another country. However, after the first year, she knew that she made the right choice. And year after year only confirmed that allowing Syaoran to stay was a good decision. Sakura was a good influence on her son.

She saw Syaoran and Sakura exiting the airport with their bags. She nodded to her chauffeur who proceeded to help them. .... Well, attempt to help them. Neither Syaoran nor Sakura wanted help. However, he did open the trunk for them. Syaoran, after putting his bags in the trunk, hugged his mother warmly and kissed him.

"It's good to see you again, Xiao Lang." Yelan smiled.

"It's good to be home again." Syaoran responded.

She then turned to Sakura and embraced the girl. The cherry blossom was shocked for a second. Afterwards, she hugged back. "It is good to see you as well, Sakura-chan. It's been a while."

"It's good to see you, Yelan-san."

After the bags were all packed, the car left the airport with Sakura, Syaoran, and Yelan. Syaoran and his mother used the car ride to catch up on what's been happening with each other. When Syaoran was talking about the happenings in Tomeoda, he would sometimes turn to Sakura for confirmation. There was such an easy flow to the conversation that it might have been said that Sakura was always part of the family.

The ride was over way too soon as they found out that they reached their destination. When the car came to a complete stop, Sakura was the first one to exit. She took in the sight of the house… make that mansion. She had never seen one that big. It looked like it could swallow her house, Syaoran's and Tomoyo's and still not be full.

"Wow, Syaoran-kun!" She gasped in amazement. "Your house is so big."

"This house belonged to our family for generations. It houses our immediate family, some distant relatives, and servants." Yelan told her. "Perhaps Xiao Lang can show you around sometime."

Sakura was a bit confused. "Xiao Lang? Who is that?"

Yelan smiled. "Syaoran. It is how we say the characters 'Little Wolf' in Cantonese." Sakura nodded in understanding.

Yelan turned to Syaoran. "Would you show Sakura to the drawing room? That will be her room for her stay. When you're done showing her her room, please come to the dining room. Dinner will be served" Syaoran nodded and motioned for Sakura to follow him. Sakura took one of her suitcases and followed.

Syaoran led Sakura through labyrinthine halls until he stopped at a door. Opening it revealed Sakura's room. It was a white, spacious room with a bed. There was a dresser by the window which let in the cool summer breeze. Sakura had never seen anything so lovely. It was like something out of a magazine. "It's so pretty." She exclaimed.

Syaoran shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know what she was talking about. He had seen this room several times. It looked like any room. But, then again, he was not an outsider looking in, like Sakura.

"This will be your room." Syaoran told her. She nodded and dropped the suitcase.

* * *

Afterward, he led Sakura to the dining room, a wafting aroma permeating the hallway. The two opened the dining room door and were greeted with a smörgåsbord on a large, eleven-foot table. Yelan sat at the head of the table. Sakura's eyes glowed. It was a fantastic spread. "It's smells delicious, Yelan-san." Sakura squealed with joy.

Sakura and Syaoran sat on opposite sides of the table next to Yelan and began to eat.

"Oh Syaoran," Yelan spoke. "Your sisters weren't able to make it today. They had plans. However, they will be here tonight. So you two are free to do whatever you like. Also, the city is going to be lighting up some summer fireworks tonight. You will get a good look of the fireworks from the terrace if you are interested."

Sakura turned to Syaoran. "It'll be fun. What do you say?" She then smiled a most dazzling smile It's not to say that her smiles were never dazzling. But this one... it brought back those syrupy feelings again.

He returned her smile with one of his own. "Sure."

Yelan watched the exchange. _Sakura was just perfect for her son_, she thought to herself.

* * *

After dinner, Yelan told Syaoran to show Sakura the terrace. He complied and took on "gracious host" mode. Yelan, however, walked to the Outer Quarters in the backyard. She had business with the Clan Elders.

She knocked on the door and was told to enter. Opening the door revealed eight men and one woman in a semi-circle, sitting in a kneeling position. She walked into the semi-circle and addressed the Elders.

"You wished to see me, honored Elders?" She began.

"We hear that Xiao Lang has returned from Japan." The elder at the head of the semi-circle spoke in a booming voice. "We would like to speak with him concerning the future."

"Grand Elder Lo Pei," Yelan answered. "Please indulge me this request. Allow Xiao Lang to rest. After all, he has had a long flight."

"Very well!" The female Elder Bai told her. "However, since we have you here, we need to speak of the future of the Li clan."

"It has come to our attention " The Elder on the left to Lo Pei continued "that you haven't picked a maiden to be your son's future bride, even after the Elders' recommendations. I am sure that you understand the ramifications of such an act."

"I do, Elder Zhang Guo." Yelan responded. "I was thinking of allowing Syaoran to choose his own wife... when the time comes."

"You are insisting too much." Lo Pei rejoined . "We gave you leave to allow Xiao Lang to attend school in Japan. If you push your fortunes, our good will may dissipate."

"Elder Lo Pei, with all due respect, Xiao Lang is only ten years old. He is not even at puberty yet. He was hit hard after the lost of his father. It was only through the workings of one girl that he has been able to stand today as a young man. To force a wife upon him now would undo the progress he has made."

"This is not up for discussion, woman." Elder Dai Gui spat. "He will have a bride and he will be married upon his 20th birthday. This girl, this Kinomoto Sakura, is a Japanese woman. We will not allow the prestigious Li bloodline to be muddied by a Jap."

Yelan held her tongue when she heard the Elder call Sakura by such a pejorative. However, intentional or not, Dai Gui had revealed an opening. "What if Xiao Lang were to marry a woman before his 20th birthday? You would have to defer to the decision of the Li Clan leader, correct?"

"What are you suggesting, Yelan?" Lo Pei asked.

"If Xiao Lang, all on his own, were to choose a suitable bride on his own, would you defer to his judgment?" Yelan asked.

"If you are talking about the Jap..." Dai Gui rose with anger.

"Still your tongue, Dai Gui." Lo Pei ordered. Dai Gui returned to his sitting position

The Elders conferred with one another about this deal. Yelan prayed silently in her head. Apparently, Dai Gui already knew that it was Sakura that Yelan was hoping her son would pick. And if it were someone else, she would have been worried that her deal would not be taken. But Dai Gui was just recently appointed to be an Elder. He hadn't the clout needed to move to reject it on his own. However, if the other Elders felt the same way as Dai Gui, then....

"Yelan, we will allow Xiao Lang to choose his own bride on two conditions." Lo Pei spoke to Yelan. "The first is that you may not speak to him about our agreement. The second condition is that we must choose a maiden to serve as his backup should he fail not to choose. Failure to uphold either condition will result in his return to Hong Kong, never to return to Japan. To that end, we will be appointing a minder to both you and Xiao Lang."

Yelan bowed low to show her gratitude. "Thank you, Elders."

"Tomorrow" Bai said, "we would like to see Xiao Lang. You are dismissed with the Elders' gratitude." Yelan nodded and exited.

She exhaled sharply after she left. Yelan was leaving everything up to chance. Sakura was a good girl and her son liked her. But it would be ten years to see if her bet was a good one. However, she had faith in Syaoran and Sakura. Hopefully, her deal with the Elders will be the right decision.

* * *

Syaoran and Sakura were sitting next to each other on reclining chairs waiting for the fireworks to begin. They were engaged in pleasant conversation when the first firework exploded in the sky with green stars.

Sakura gasps. It was beautiful. Syaoran just smiled. Sakura turned to Syaoran with tears in her eyes. Syaoran saw the tears. "What's wrong?" He asked

Sakura smiled through her tears. "Nothing is wrong, dummy. I am happy."

Syaoran smirked. "I'm glad that you are here."

"Thank you for having me, Syaoran." Sakura smiled. "Truly, thank you very much."

As the fireworks display began to flourish, Sakura leaned towards Syaoran and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, blushing as she did. Syaoran turned to Sakura, that syrupy feeling returning. He smiled brilliantly. "You're very welcome."

* * *

Wow. The guy updates his story. YES.

Well, I've been a combination of way too busy and way too lazy. The fault is mine. I have told myself where I wanted to take this story in this chapter and I wanted it to end in an indirect kiss. But when I sat down to type, I had writer's flood. It's different than writer's block because too many ideas came to mind. I couldn't decide on one. So when something came to mind and I started typing, something else came and I erased what I had before. Finally, something so simple came to mind. Why don't you allow Sakura to visit Syaoran's background from Hong Kong. And so it came to pass. I still haven't decided whether or not I will stay in Hong Kong for the next chapter but if I do, it will be a small chapter. However, should I not, I will move on to sixth grade. This hasn't been decided yet.

I just want to explain one thing about Dai Gui's response. In older China, there was a push to keep bloodlines pure. It isn't unlikely that one or two of the Elders would have such a position, especially when it comes to Japan. I suppose this wasn't helped by the Sino-Japanese War that happened before World War II. So, that's that.

I understand people want me to be quick with the update because they are interested in the story. So I say to those, please be patient with me. Happy reading and please review. I really want to hear your responses.


	7. Suffer the Little Children

Chapter 7: Suffer the Little Children

He's updated his story so quickly? Woah. Yeah, I updated my story. I'm surprised as well. I think it's been a month since the last chapter. But whatever. Here's the next chapter

* * *

"And we are glad that you are doing well, Xiao Lang." Grand Elder Lo Pei told Syaoran.

Syaoran was summoned by the Elders early the next morning. He really didn't want to go but his mother told him that it was his duty. There was something about being the center of old people's attention that irked him. He would rather be surrounded by his annoying sisters and being treated like a baby then being around the Elders. It was like his very soul was being drained and being replaced by something else. But it was by the Elders' good graces that he was allowed to stay in Tomoeda.

He pondered on the events that transpired last night with Sakura. They were watching the fireworks last night and she kissed him. Granted, it was on the cheek but it was a kiss all the same. And there was still the matter of the syrupy feeling that coursed through him. It made him feel all warm inside and it confused him. Syaoran and Sakura were friends for the longest time and never had he felt that way. Could it be that….

"Xiao Lang!" Elder Dai Gui shouted, shaking the little wolf out of his thoughts.

"Yes, a party sounds nice, Elder Dai Gui." Syaoran responded, thankful that he was listening in part to what the Elder was saying.

"Very well." A female Elder, Lin Mei, told him in a motherly tone. "You will have to dress up in formal attire for the party tonight. Remember that the families coming are prestigious and the crème de la crème, so to speak. Please do not embarrass the Li clan or you will force us to reconsider your stay in Japan. I don't want to do this but we will if it becomes necessary."

Syaoran nodded. For his own sake, he would be on his best behavior.

* * *

Sakura woke up just as the sun was reaching its highest point in the sky. She usually didn't sleep till noon but there was something about the flight and the events last night that exhausted her. She sat up and stretched languidly, removing the sleep from her bones.

After showering in an adjacent bathroom, Sakura got dressed in a plain pink t-shirt and jeans. With her clothes put on, she left her room and tried to remember her way around the labyrinthine mansion. She was passing through aimlessly when she ran Syaoran's four sisters.

Fanren, Fuutie, Feimei, and Shiefa were certainly not expecting to run into Kinomoto Sakura. But the fact that she was here indicated that their brother had asked their mother if she could come. Wicked smiles spread across their faces and Sakura had to admit that she was a bit nervous.

"Sakura-chan, how long have you been here?" Fanren asked.

"I just got in yesterday afternoon. My dad and your mother had agreed that it was okay for me to stay for the summer." Sakura answered as respectfully as she could.

Fuutie snickered. "And I'm sure that our cute little brother had nothing to do with it."

"Well, we got the idea for me to stay for the summer last week when I saw him packing to come back home. After we told our parents, they agreed."

"If we had known that you were coming, we would have greeted you guys at the airport. We so have to hang out sometime." Feimei told the emerald-eye girl.

"I wouldn't mind that. It would be fun." Sakura smiled, dazzling the four sisters. "By the way, where is Syaoran-kun?"

Shiefa smiled, revealing nothing about the meeting that he had with the Elders. Because they were girls, the Elders met with them very little, perhaps once a year to check on their progress into young, marriageable women. However, it is through the male heir, Xiao Lang, that the family name will continue and so they took a greater interest in him. For the most part, the sisters' sole function was to go to parties to find suitable husbands. "I'm pretty sure" she responded "that Xiao Lang is in the dining hall."

"Great. I've been trying to find it. Can you guys help me?"

With that, the four sisters walked with Sakura to the dining hall, all the while getting information about their little brother from her.

* * *

Syaoran was eating lunch after meeting with the Elders. It was nothing special, just leftovers from yesterday. He wondered where Sakura was. Was she still in bed? It wasn't like her stay in bed longer than 11 o'clock. She may have been hard to wake up but she would never sleep in that late. He was about to go find her when the doors to the dining hall were opened and Sakura walked in with company. His heart sank. He knew what was going to happen now. The amber-eyed boy saw the smiles of the evil ones and prepared himself for what was going to happen next.

"Xiao Lang" Shiefa cooed. "You didn't say that Sakura-chan was going to be staying with us for the summer.

Syaoran was always teased by his sisters because of his relationship with Sakura. Sakura was his oldest friend and a girl, leaving him open for insinuations about why he hung out with her. Every time that Syaoran returned home, his sisters always ragged on him, asking how his girlfriend was. Each time that happened, Syaoran would blush, causing more ribbing to take place. He was such an easy target like that. However, now that he brought her home, oh how it would be ripe to tease him and see what his reaction was now.

Right now, his reaction caused a scarlet color to reach his cheek. How adorable! "Didn't mother tell you?" he asked, still a bit flustered. "Sakura-kun will be staying with us for the summer."

Sakura noticed that Syaoran was using –kun, which he only did when he didn't want to give the wrong impression to others that there was something going on between the two. Whenever someone tried to find out whether they were going out or something, he would switch the suffix from –chan to –kun, which deterred, if only for a little bit, their inferences. Sakura was no dummy. She could understand why people thought that they were closer than they really are. How many boys are friends with girls and don't have some sort of romantic interest? Sakura liked Syaoran but she didn't _like him_ like him. He was just a good friend.

Fuutie smirked. "Of course not, my cute brother. Otherwise, we would have been there at the airport to greet you." There was something about the way that Fuutie said 'greet you' that made Syaoran blush even more.

Thankfully, at that moment, Yelan walked into the dining hall, effectively ending the playful ribbing. "I see you have met my girls, Sakura-san." She told the emerald-eyed girl. "I'm glad. Is there anything that you would like to do today?"

Sakura thought for a second. "Well, I've never been in Hong Kong before so I would like to see some of the sights and stuff. I brought a camera so I can share the pictures with Tomoyo-chan."

"We can take Sakura-chan and Xiao Lang around the city. We don't have our finals till next week." Fanren offered.

"That will be fine, Fanren. However, Xiao Lang cannot go today." Her mother told her.

"Oh, why is that?" Sakura asked, her face crestfallen when she learned that Syaoran was not going to be joining them today.

Yelan's face didn't betray anything but inside she was conflicted. She knew what the Elders wanted. There was going to be a party to look for a prospective bride for Syaoran. It irked her that they would force her son to choose a wife now when he was on the cusps of adolescence. Well, not find a wife per se, but at least talk to the high-society girls who could be wife material. There were two things bad about that. Number one is that she wasn't allowed to tell Syaoran anything about the true nature of the party. If she did, Syaoran would no longer be allowed to return to Japan. Number two is that if she wanted Syaoran to pick a wife, she wanted it to be Sakura. They were young now and probably were not thinking about anything as complicated as even dating. But in the future, it could happen. This put a wrench in her plans. However, there was nothing she could do.

"There is going to be a sort of ball tonight." Yelan answered Sakura's questions. "Its purpose is to meet some of the people that have supported our family for many years, like a party."

"Oh, it sounds like fun." Sakura chimed.

"Do I have to go, mother?" Syaoran asked, desperately trying to see a way out of not going.

"You know as well as I do that you must, Xiao Lang." His mother responded.

"Cheer up, Syaoran-kun. It could be fun. There will be dancing and people you can make friends with here. It'll kind of be like school except without the classes and homework and stuff."

Syaoran snorted quietly. Sakura had no idea what these balls were like in the first place. They were probably worse than school. It's just a whole bunch of old farts talking about business and chatting about nonsense while they watched their kids be bored out their skulls. The last time he went to a ball was during summer vacation after second grade. It was extremely boring. The Elders were trying to set up his sisters with the sons of some wealthy business men for some reason. He didn't understand why because he was young then but now he knew, at least in part. And he had a feeling that it was going to happen to him tonight.

"It's going to be boring, Sakura-kun." Syaoran told her.

"Really? I think it's like going to be a ball like the Cinderella story."

A wicked smile formed on Syaoran's face, a smile that was caught by his mother. "If you really think that, Sakura-kun, then why don't you attend the party as well?" He looked at his mother. "I am sure that mother could arrange it, can you?" He asked sweetly, a bit of wickedness and cunning dripped in his voice.

Yelan smiled inwardly. His son was taking initiative. She was proud of her. "Would you like to go, Sakura-san?" She asked.

Sakura smiled. "Of course, Yelan-san, if that is alright with you."

And so the plan was set. Syaoran's four sisters decided to take Sakura to a boutique shop to look for something appropriate for the ball. Syaoran, however, decided to take a nap before the ball.

* * *

It was torture for Sakura. Syaoran's sisters hard to please. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that the emerald-eyed girl had tried on every outfit in the store. They were looking for the perfect ensemble for her to impress everyone, even the Elders, and that made the shopping tedious. Sakura's smile became weary until Feimei found something absolutely faultless. She found an orange qipao, adorned with pink cherry blossoms and a gold obi. When Sakura tried it on, she realized that although she didn't have an adult figure yet, the qipao was comfortable and gave her maneuverability. Understanding that Sakura was only 11 years old, the four sisters didn't try to overstate the qipao by making the young girl more adult.

"Perfect." Sheifa exclaimed and told Sakura to take off the cheongsam so they could buy it.

"Oh, I couldn't buy such a beautiful dress, Sheifa-san." Sakura protested.

"Sakura-chan, you are the guest of the Li family." Fanren told her. "We don't get to see you as much as Xiao Lang does. Just think of this as a gift." The look that the four sisters gave her told Sakura that there was no room for arguing. Instead, she smiled brilliantly.

"Thank you." She bowed low.

"So cute." The girls squealed.

* * *

It was 5 o'clock when Syaoran decided to get ready for the ball. He took a quick shower and put on some of the cologne that his mother bought him, just for this occasion, on himself and got dressed. It was semi-formal, a green changshan, plain as he didn't like designs on his changshans. Comfortable black shoes completed the ensemble. Looking at his hair in the mirror, Syaoran noticed that it was messier than usual and so he took a comb and tried to fix it. When he was satisfied with the controlled messiness than the chaotic one, Syaoran exited his room and prepared to greet the guests who would be coming through the front gate, following his duty as host. He just wondered where Sakura went.

* * *

Fuutie was finishing putting Sakura's auburn hair into a tight bun as Sheifa was tying Sakura's obi. "This'll be your first ball. But Xiao Lang was right when he said that these things are boring."

"If that is the case, then Syaoran will probably have more fun if I'm there." Sakura responded.

"Oh I bet." Sheifa retorted in a snarky but playful way. Sakura didn't catch what she meant by that but nodded all the same.

* * *

It was 6:30 and the party was in full swing. Yelan was talking to some of the heads of other prominent families. The Elders were with her, observing Syaoran who was talking to the children of these families. Yelan noticed that her son was rather aloof while he was conversing with them.

Music permeated the ballroom. It was a classical bit and one of the families' daughter, a girl by the name Xialin of the Fong family, grabbed Syaoran's hand and forced him to dance. Xialin was a frail dark haired girl who wore a light blue dress. She almost looked like a porcelain doll. However, she had a fiery personality and it showed when she made the Little Wolf dance, causing him to be flustered.

Now Syaoran had no formal training in this art and as soon as they took the first step, it showed. Syaoran's feet were all over the place and sometimes they would land on Xialin's foot or on her dress. It was quite humorous for Yelan to watch her son stumble but noted for later that she would have to teach him to dance.

It was at that moment Sakura entered the ballroom with Syaoran's four sisters. She looked around for Syaoran and saw that he was being dragged around like a rag doll by the girl. She thought it was hilarious.

The Elders looked upon the face that changed Syaoran for the better. This was Kinomoto Sakura. For an 11 year old girl, she was very cute and she had already done wonders, whether she realized it at this moment or not, with Syaoran. After looking at her for a few seconds, Grand Elder Lo Pei turned to Yelan. "This is the girl?" He asked

"Yes, Grand Elder." Yelan replied.

* * *

Dai Gui looked at the girl with disgust. At the end of the day, this Kinomoto was just another dirty Jap to him. He hated all Japanese people in general ever since the events of Nanking before World War II.

Dai Gui's family wasn't always part of the Li family. His family was part of an illustrious but somewhat wealthy clan who were stationed in Nanking. They were nowhere near as wealthy as the Li family but their name was enough to reason a solidification of clans under the Li family name. It was June of 1937 and war was looming between China and Japan. His family's was already tied with the Li family through his mother. He was about Syaoran's age when it happened. Japan's forces overtook China. Dai Gui was living in one of the Li's mansions when the events of Nanking occurred. His mother was visiting his elder grandfather, her mother, when Japanese military personnel entered the city. There was no word for what happened in Nanking. 200,000 to 300,000 people were massacred (there was no other word for what happened there) by the Japanese, many of them from his own family. His mother and his grandfather were slaughtered and not given a proper burial. There were reports that the dogs who lived in Nanking were sluggish and always full on the … it was just disgusting.

Ever since then Dai Gui hated Japan and anything associated with it. When he learned that the Li family business, which included medicine and health care, a cause championed by the last leader of the Li clan, Xiao Lang's father, was opening up a branch of the Caritas company in Japan, Dai Gui was furious. The Japs could all die of diseases for all he cared. However, he was aiming to take a place as one of the Elders at the time so he held his peace. If he became an Elder, he would be able to shape the new Li clan leader, Xiao Lang, any way he wanted. However, a decision was reached before he became an Elder that Xiao Lang was to stay in Japan. Although, he could not revoke such a decision, he knew that the Council of Elders would want the boy to marry someone of a prominent family. He had no reason to worry. Even if he did fall in love with the Jap, he couldn't marry her.

But then that woman, Yelan, interfered. She made a bet and now there was a chance that the Jap could marry Xiao Lang. Dai Gui's own prejudices against the girl, who personally did him no wrong, would not allow someone like her to be married to the leader of the most powerful clan in all of China. Therefore, he had to make sure that Xiao Lang either falls in love with a girl of his choice or not marry the Jap before his 20th birthday. It was feasible. Now he had to choose a minder for the boy.

* * *

Syaoran turned around when he felt the watchful eyes of his sisters on him. When he looked at Sakura, his face was completely flushed, partly from being dragged around by Xialin. Sakura just looked very pretty in her kimono. He never thought such things about the girl before because he always considered her a friend first. But, this was probably the first time that he ever looked upon Sakura as something else, something more than a friend.

Syaoran's sisters looked at him and saw that he was staring too intently. They knew that they chose the right outfit. The girls nudged Sakura in his direction.

Sakura smiled at Syaoran. "It looks like you're having fun, Syaoran-kun."

Syaoran shook his head. "I am so bored." He enunciated every syllable. "I hate these balls."

"And what about the girl you were dancing with?" She asked, looking at the girl in the blue dress with amusement.

"Xialin? She just grabbed me and forced me to dance."

"You would have never allowed someone to do that when you were little." The emerald-eyed girl told him. "It's like you're changing. Maybe soon, she'll be your girlfriend or something."

"Jealous?" He smirked

"Nah. I'm happy for you."

And Syaoran could see that she was happy. Perhaps it was better this way, to stay as friends for now. Being something more would strain their relationship and if something were to go wrong, it would destroy the foundation built on seven years of trust, camaraderie, and happiness. Maybe someday in the future, he might try to pursue a relationship of something other than friendship with Sakura but for the time being, friendship was good for now.

"Do you want to dance, Sakura-kun?" He asked as he held out his hand.

"I'm not very good, Syaoran-kun." Sakura laughed.

"Neither am I."

Sakura took Syaoran's hand and they danced as best as they could to the music. Each of them was stepping on the other's toes and was so off-balanced that they fell several times. However, they were having fun and that's all that mattered. Syaoran smiled brilliantly at Sakura and the two of them were laughing as if they were in their own private world.

* * *

Yelan looked upon the scene with her son and Sakura. She had never seen Syaoran smile so brightly ever since his father died. It was all thanks to Sakura. Yelan looked at the Elders and, with the exception of Dai Gui and two of the Elders that sided with him, saw that they were nodding their heads in approval.

"This is the miracle worker you told us about, is it not, Yelan?" Elder Bai asked her

"Yes, lady Elder Bai." She responded

"I can see why you would want your son to marry her." The Elder Zhang Guo smirked, enjoying the scene before him.

"Perhaps it will be a good thing that the council of Elders took the bet." Grand Elder Lo Pei said. "There is no guile in this girl. She helps Xiao Lang for the sake of friendship."

Yelan didn't respond. She only watched amusedly. She knew that pretty soon a minder would be assigned to her and her son to prevent Yelan from giving him any suggestions concerning Sakura but she knew that he would follow his heart. That's all that she wanted from him.

* * *

Sakura was having so much fun with Syaoran that she didn't realize that she had incurred the wrath of a man she didn't even know. She didn't know that this man was going to do everything in his power to destroy what she had with Syaoran. And frankly, she didn't care. All that mattered was enjoying Syaoran's company. She wouldn't use the word pretty for a boy, perhaps handsome was better. Syaoran was boyishly handsome. Perhaps one day….

Well that was a long way from now. What mattered to her now was having as much fun with Syaoran now.

* * *

And that's chapter seven. And the next chapters are going to be in Japan again. It makes be glad. I couldn't make up any more Chinese names. I looked up a couple and just said "That's your name, Elder."

Anyways, I wanted to not only set up how Sakura and Syaoran feel about each other, but also to introduce the main antagonist, Dai Gui. When I created him, I didn't want to just say "He hates Sakura because he's evil or because he hates Sakura". And so I created a backstory for him. Nanking seems to be the most appropriate event for his hatred of Japanese people. It was a real event and it was horrendous. So there is meaning behind his hate. Whether you guys hate him or not is a whole other story.

The next chapter will introduce Syaoran's minder and create a twist to the story. In order to get Sakura and Syaoran together, I am going to push them far apart.

Well, I hope you will continue reading. Leave reviews and I might update this quickly.


	8. The Invincible Spell

A couple of things before I bring you to the story.

Thanks for the reviews. I am glad that people are reading it. Makes me happy. It also makes me happy to hear what readers like about the story. My favorite reviews aren't the ones that go "OMG LUV IT. UPDATE." I want to engage my reader so let me know what you think.

Second, this story is going to be different than some of the stories you may have read. What I mean by this is that there will be NO set characters. A set character is a character who only stands in the background, has a couple of lines here and there and then retreats, making that character unessential to existing within that world. Every character that I introduce in this story is going to have an influence, good or bad, on the Sakura / Syaoran relationship. Therefore, if that character has a name AND has speaking roles in the story, you'll know that the character has an importance. If the character has a name but no speaking role or vice versa, that character is just background noise and no importance. Because of this, some of the other CCS characters will probably not make an appearance at all. I can tell you for a fact that Eriol will not make an appearance in this story to be the love interest for Tomoyo. More than likely, Meilin or Yukito will not appear either. In fact, there will probably be two more characters left to introduce in the story and that won't happen until Sakura and Syaoran reach high school. Likewise, I would suggest rereading the previous chapters because any character I've given a name and a speaking role to (except for Reiko in Chapter 4) will return again in later chapters. I say this because I will reintroduce two characters in this chapter, Fong Xialin (Chapter 7) and Chiba Daisuke (Chapter 5). As a footnote, Xialin is not Meilin and I do use the Japanese way of writing names e.g. Kinomoto Sakura and Li Syaoran, so don't get confused.

Finally, the goal is Sakura, Syaoran. So this chapter might be the one that people say "What the hell are you doing?" Be patient. It is not going to be a short story. I expect this to be at least 20 chapters long. So we will get there.

And now, chapter 8....

* * *

Chapter 8: The Invincible Spell

"Fight, fight, fight with your might." The cheerleaders cried.

It was the semi-finals of the middle school football tourney. (When I say football, I mean what the Americans call soccer.) Tomoeda had placed the in the semi-finals last week and are now hosting Hanshin for the right to go to the finals. It was all thanks to their center forward, Li Syaoran. He was amazing on the field. He has an average of three goals a game and a record of six. To the other team, he was dangerous.

If Syaoran was to attribute anything to his impressive speed and stamina, it would be because of three things. One would be the training that his guardian, Wei, had given him to increase his speed, stamina and endurance, the second was being trained by Kinomoto Touya, the high school Football superstar, and the last would be that girl on the cheerleading squad.

Sakura did her best to energize the crowd. With her pompoms furling and the girls with her getting the crowd into a frenzy, the auburn-haired girl did her best to focus that energy to the Tomoeda Hornets. The Hanshin Tigers didn't stand a chance.

There was another girl who was a part of the cheerleading squad. Her name was Fong Xialin. After meeting Syaoran that first time, there was a sort of kinship that was forged. Both children were born from money and they knew that they were different from other children. It wasn't that they took any pride in the fact that their clans had wealth and even political power. At times they longed for the freedom to be just like all the other kids. And after the party, Syaoran told her of a place where he felt like he could be free, Tomoeda. So she tried to convince her parents to allow her to live in Tomoeda for a year to see what it was like.

Unbeknownst to the two children, this move was approved by the Li clan Elder, Dai Gui. He saw this as an opportunity to break Xiao Lang of the Jap. He convinced the elders from the Fong family to allow this to happen, sort of like a trial run. They agreed and made the necessary arrangements for this move. She was given a minder, Chen Mui, an old gentleman who had served the Fong family his whole life, and the move was complete.

Xialin looked at Sakura, surreptitiously. Although she was sort of friends with the emerald-eyed girl, Xialin saw her as a rival for Syaoran's affections. She didn't know how the girl really felt about him and that's what concerned her. If the black-eyed girl knew one way or the other, it would be easy.

Tomoyo and Touya were in the stands watching the game. Tomoyo was filming the game and Sakura for her video reel. Touya was watching his pupil dominate the Hanshin Tigers defense. He taught Syaoran only because Sakura asked him to take him on as a 'student of the great Black Hawk' as his sister stated. He didn't really want to teach the gaki but his father sweetened the deal. If he would help Syaoran with Football, his father would help him get an internship at his job.

Teaching Syaoran was a snap. Firstly, the gaki soaked up all that he knew like a sponge. He was already doing well before he took him as a student. But now, with everything that Touya taught him, his protégé now destroyed all of the Tomoeda Hornets' opponents.

There was only two minutes on the clock. The score was 3-3. Possession came to the Hornets. The Tigers had tried for a goal but was denied that by the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper threw the ball to the forward striker. He moved into position, trying to keep possession of the ball and let the clock run out to try for a last minute goal. 1 minute on the clock later, he passed it to Syaoran. 30 seconds later, Syaoran was clear for his shot. A silence fell over the arena. The little wolf closed his eyes and took a deep breath. With a powerful kick, the ball found an opening.

**GOAL**

A deafening cheer erupted from the Tomoeda fans. The star center forward did it again. With 5 seconds still left on the clock, it was unlikely that Hanshin was going to make another goal to bring the game into overtime.

The coach for the Hornets told his team that they needed to cover the ball and so all of the players scrambled for the Tiger who was dribbling the ball to stall. 3, 2, 1

The whistle sounded and the game ended with a victory for Tomoeda. Syaoran's teammates celebrated by hoisting the preteen into the air, carrying him on their shoulders. The fans in the stands rushed the field and surrounded the team, voicing their cheers and congratulations. It was a joyous occasion.

* * *

After the game, Touya took Sakura, Syaoran, Xialin and Tomoyo, who was in the stands filming the game, in his car.

Touya threw a towel at Syaoran. "What's this for?" Syaoran asked.

"I don't want your sweat on my seats."

Everyone laughed a bit at Syaoran's expense. "Onii-chan, you're mean."

"Leave it to a kaijuu to tell me that I'm mean." He retorted, causing another laugh from the occupants in the car.

Sakura refrained from hitting her brother. Such a thing could cause an accident and Sakura wouldn't want that.

The four fifth-graders talked about the game and how cool Syaoran was for scoring the winning goal.

"It wasn't that great." Syaoran tried to be humble. "I just saw an opening and I took it."

"You're right, gaki." Touya smirked. "It wasn't that great. I would have scored doubled what you did today."

Syaoran huffed. "Sorry, Mr. Football Star." He said sarcastically.

"Touya-san played Football?" Xialin asked. This was her first year here and already she felt like an outsider. She tried to understand why Syaoran liked it here. And it occurred to her that he wasn't treated like royalty here. In fact, he was treated like everyone else. So, if she were to be just like him, then perhaps down the road, she could win the little wolf's affections.

"He did, Xialin-san." Sakura told her. "He played on the Football teams from middle school all the way to his senior year of high school. He is amazing."

"Yes, Xialin-san." Tomoyo added. "They called him the Black Hawk because as he was going down the field, he would focus on nothing but the ball, like a hawk focuses on its prey."

"He was pretty fast." Syaoran continued. "He was the one who taught me everything that I know."

"You're damn right, gaki." Touya said smugly. "You guys probably wouldn't have won today if I hadn't taken you under my wing. The Tigers were always a dominating force on the field."

"Stop calling him a gaki." Sakura complained. "Syaoran-kun's not a gaki."

"He's a gaki now. He was a gaki before and he will always be a gaki." Touya exclaimed.

Xialin only had to laugh at the dynamics in this car. She was starting to understand why Syaoran chose to stay here.

After Touya had dropped of Syaoran, Tomoyo and Xialin at their respective houses, he made the drive home. He looked at his little sister. She was growing up to be a young woman. Although she would always be his little kaijuu, he was starting to understand that he couldn't protect her from everything. It was his last year in high school. Next year, he would be going to Tokyo University and he wouldn't get to see her as much. Touya supposed this was what his father was feeling as he was going to college.

"Sakura." Touya said with an even keel.

Sakura turned around and looked at her brother. There were very few instances where her brother called her by name. Those instances usually accompanied something very important.

"Onii-chan?" She asked, unsure of what her brother was going to ask.

"What do you think of Xialin-san?" He asked.

It was a peculiar question to be sure. Touya thought it was strange that the black-haired girl had come the same year after the summer where Sakura went to Hong Kong. Sakura had mentioned the girl in passing during her vacation there. And then the girl plans to spend the year here. It was all too weird. From what Touya could glean from her, she seemed to have a crush on the gaki and felt that Sakura was a rival for his affections. Touya didn't want Sakura to be in the crosshairs of the girl. Love makes one do some crazy things, even hurting people.

"Xialin-san? She seems nice. She's fun to be around and she knows Syaoran-kun." Sakura gave her answer as succinctly as possible.

"How does the gaki feel about her?"

"Syaoran-kun? Well, I think he feels the same way." Sakura gave Touya a puzzling look. "Why do you ask?"

"You'll understand when you're older, kaijuu." Touya smirked.

"Sakura is not a kaijuu." She shouted at the top of her voice.

* * *

Sakura was running to school on her skates. She was going to be late if she didn't hurry. Going through the back streets was a shortcut that she learned through trial and error. She noticed that as long as she kept this pace, she was going to make it. However, she didn't allow herself to take joy in that. Only when she made would she rejoice. Almost there….

She made it in the school building but she wasn't home free yet. She still needed to make it to homeroom in two minutes. Taking off her skates and putting them in her locker. She took out her school shoes and put it on her feet. Running made her tired but she couldn't stop until she was in her seat. It was going to be a photo finish.

**BAM**

Kinomoto Sakura, an object in motion, no longer remained in motion because she was stopped by an outside force, namely a fellow student of hers.

Sakura had run into Chiba Daisuke, who was also heading to class. He wasn't running like Sakura was so he was in more pain than she. The light-haired boy got himself up from the floor as the deafening sound of the bell rang. The teacher was walking to his classroom when he saw two of his students on the floor.

"Are you guys alright?" He asked

"I'm sorry, Chiba-san, sensei." Sakura apologized. "I was running to class and ran into Chiba-san, knocking us both to the floor."

Daisuke smiled. "It's alright. I'm just a little hurt. No broken bones or anything."

Sakura felt better knowing that.

"If that is all, then would you two please go to your seats so I can begin my lessons?"

The two students nodded and entered the classroom, followed by the teacher. As Sakura was walking, she felt a small pain in her ankle.

Syaoran was already sitting his seat when Sakura entered the classroom. She was followed by another student, Chiba Daisuke, and then by the teacher. He noticed that Sakura was wincing with every step she took. Could something have happened outside the classroom? He would make it a point to find out what happened. The teacher began his lessons for the day and the students dutifully took notes.

* * *

Sakura and Syaoran's class had P.E. today. Today they were running track. The boys and girls were separated and tested in groups. The boys went first. The girls were watching and talking about last night's Football game.

"Were you guys at the Football game last night?" One of the girls asked. "Our school is going to the finals."

"I know." Another girl responded. "Did you see Li-san at the game? He was amazing."

"He was so dreamy when he got that goal in and won the game for the school."

"I cheered my heart out for Li-san. I wonder if he heard me?" A girl wondered.

"I don't think you have a chance with Li-san. I hear that he's going out with that cheerleader."

Sakura, Tomoyo, and Xialin were eavesdropping on the conversation. When there was mention of Syaoran-kun going out with a cheerleader, both Sakura and Xialin blushed.

"Really? I thought that they were just good friends."

"Then maybe I have a shot too."

"Nah, Li-san wouldn't even look at a girl like you."

And that erupted into bickering among the girls. The three other girls could only listen in shock at the way the conversation was turning.

"It's seems as though Syaoran-kun is popular." Tomoyo pointed out the obvious.

"Was he always this popular, Tomoyo-san?" Xialin asked. The black haired girl didn't realize that there were other people pining for Syaoran. She felt bad for the little wolf.

"No he wasn't." Sakura told the girl. "He used to be so shy. I remember this one time in kindergarten that he didn't want to play with the other kids. He used to sit at one of the kiddy tables and he stayed there. I had to force him to do stuff. I remember I used to call him Syao-kame." She smiled at the memory

"But as he got older, he became more open." Tomoyo continued. "And now look at him."

Xialin became more reserved. Could she have done that for Syaoran-kun? She didn't know and that worried her. Still, she wouldn't be defeated just now. She may respect Sakura and they may be friends, but the auburn-haired was still her rival in love. She wanted to win.

"Are you okay, Xialin-san?" Sakura asked when the black-haired girl became quiet.

Before she could answer, the P.E. teacher (can one really call them teachers?) blew her whistle, signaling the boys and girls to switch. Many of the girls went up to Syaoran to congratulate him on winning the game for Tomoeda and wishing him luck in the upcoming game. Sakura, Tomoyo and Xialin waved at Syaoran who returned the wave.

The girls were running track and the boys were watching the girls, some a bit too intently. Syaoran looked for Chiba Daisuke who was in their class. He found the blond boy sitting with a group of boys, Syaoran would guess his friends. The amber-eyed boy walked towards him.

"Excuse me, Chiba-san. May I talk with you?" He asked.

Chiba Daisuke nodded and got up to walk with Syaoran. He coughed a bit as he did.

"What seems to be the problem, Li-san?" He asked, concern in his blue eyes.

"It's about Sakura-kun." Syaoran told him. "What happened outside before class?"

"Sakura-kun?" Daisuke smiled. "That's an odd way to address a girl."

"Chiba-san, please answer my question." There was a bit of concern and fear that crept into Syaoran's voice.

"Well, she was running to class and she kind of ran into me." Daisuke told Syaoran.

"Was she alright?"

"She said that she was alright. Why?" And that question was answered with a piercing scream.

Sakura and five other girls were called to the starting line to run their 100 meters. As soon as the signal was given, Sakura took off in a burst of speed. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for her but as soon as she put all her weight on her right foot, there was a sharp pain like glass that permeated her body. She screamed in pain and collapsed on the floor. Sakura clutched her right foot, tears forming liberally in her eyes.

In an instant, Syaoran was there and took her into his arms. "Sensei, I'll bring her to the nurse's office." He said and left. The teacher just nodded, not even realizing that the little wolf didn't see it.

* * *

Sakura found herself lying on the bed, an ACE bandage on her right foot. Sitting by her bedside were Syaoran, Tomoyo and Xialin.

"You sprained your ankle." Tomoyo told her, answering the question that she was going to ask. "Of course, that's just what the nurse thinks. We won't know for sure until you are taken to the hospital."

Xialin looked away, unable to see Sakura in pain like this. "How did this happen, Sakura-san?"

"I guess that this happened when I ran into Chiba-san before class. It just hurt a little before so I thought it was just because of the impact. I didn't know that I twisted it." Sakura felt bad for burdening everyone. "I'm sorry guys."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Sakura-chan." Syaoran told her. "These things just happen."

The nurse came in at that moment and shooed them away to get to class.

"Oh, I called Touya-san." Syaoran said as an afterthought. "He said he'll be coming in a few minutes." With that, the three left for class.

* * *

Syaoran was sitting in math class, unable to concentrate. He was thinking about Sakura. He was so scared when he heard her scream. He didn't know what to do. It was like his body ran on auto-pilot. When Syaoran picked up Sakura, he didn't realize how small she was compared to him at that moment. It was like she was a glass egg, fragile and beautiful.

He didn't notice that someone was tapping on the shoulder. He turned around and saw Chiba Daisuke. He wasn't mad at him for being the reason that Sakura hurt herself. However….

"How is Kinomoto-san doing?" Daisuke asked.

"She's going to the hospital to make sure that it's just a sprain." Syaoran whispered so as not to interrupt the class.

"I'm sorry." Daisuke apologized.

"This isn't something you need to apologize for, Chiba-san." Syaoran told him. "But if you really want to, you should apologize to Sakura-kun."

The blond boy nodded and went back to listening to the teacher.

* * *

Sakura was in the hospital with one of those iron aprons on or something like that. The doctors were taking x-rays of her foot to make sure that none of the bones in her foot or ankle were broken. She didn't like the feeling of the apron on her body. It was heavy. After a while, the doctor came in and told Sakura that she could remove the apron. She did so with joy.

Touya followed the doctor inside and the doctor told him that he is going to look at the x-rays and make his decisions. With that, the doctor excused himself.

"I'm sorry, Onii-chan." Sakura apologized.

"Don't worry about it." He said. There was relief in his voice.

"Does Dad know yet?"

"I left a message on his phone, Sakura."

Before the conversation could continue, the doctor entered the room with two film sheets in his hand. He attached them to the light board and flicked the switch, showing the two an x-ray of Sakura's foot.

"The good news is that you didn't break any bones in your foot or ankle." The doctor said. "The bad news is that you did sprain your ankle so you'll be walking around on crutches for a while, okay?"

"Yes, doctor." Sakura complied.

"So, keep your weight off of it for a month or so and come visit the hospital around that time to check on your progress."

"Thank you, doctor." Touya said.

The doctor nodded and gave Sakura a foam shoe to put on her right foot and some crutches. With that, Touya helped Sakura leave the hospital.

* * *

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. The little wolf ran outside the school immediately as the bell sounded. Syaoran was worried about Sakura. He couldn't think at all. He wanted to be by his friend's side but he had Football practice today. He couldn't miss it. Those who did wouldn't be eligible to play in the championship round. Syaoran wanted to play. There were so many people depending on him and he didn't want to disappoint them. However, he wanted to see how Sakura was doing.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't see that Tomoyo was standing next to him.

"Tomoyo-kun." Syaoran said.

"I'll go check on Sakura-chan. You can stay here in practice until it's done."

"But…"

"Sakura-chan would want you to be in practice. She knows how important the championship game is to you and she wouldn't want you to miss it on her account."

"But…" Syaoran wanted to argue but he knew in his heart that Tomoyo was right. If the situation was reversed, he wouldn't want Sakura missing cheerleading for his sake. He deferred to Tomoyo's judgment.

"Okay then. I'll see her after practice."

Tomoyo nodded and left school. Syaoran went back inside to head to practice.

* * *

The drive home was quiet. Neither of them had anything to say to each other. Sakura was trying NOT to focus on the pain and Touya was trying to focus on driving. When they arrived, they saw Tomoyo sitting outside of their front door. When they pulled up to the driveway, Tomoyo opened the door for Sakura and helped her get out of the car. She then helped the auburn-haired girl adjust her weight so she could put the crutches under her arms. When they were secured, Sakura started moving forward with the crutches.

"Take your time, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo admonished.

Sakura followed the advice and took it one step at a time. She was careful not to put weight on the sprained ankle. Carefully, she made her way from the driveway into the house. The effort exhausted her. Sakura didn't realize that there were so many muscles involved in working the crutches properly. Plus some of the painkillers that the doctor gave her were making her sleepy. Sakura felt the warm hands of her brother on her shoulders.

"Let me carry you." Touya said, but it wasn't a request. It was more of a command.

Sakura didn't have any energy to argue. So she allowed herself to be carried up the stairs. Tomoyo followed behind, carrying the crutches.

Touya laid her down on the bed and drew the covers over her. "Get some sleep. Dad's going to be home any minute."

Sakura nodded and felt herself drifting off into sleep. Touya left the room. Tomoyo stayed.

"Tomoyo-chan…" she whispered.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. Syaoran-kun is going to be coming after his practice." Tomoyo answered, almost reading her thoughts.

"Thank you, Tomoyo-chan. I wouldn't want Syaoran-kun missing the game because of me. He's been looking forward to this since the season started."

Sakura knew that she wasn't going to keep her eyes open for long. "Tomoyo-chan, can you hand me the lion on my dresser?"

Tomoyo walked to the dresser and found a yellow lion plushie. On its stomach, it read 'Friends Forever' and her and Syaoran's names on it. Tomoyo handed the lion to Sakura and she cuddled with it, feeling Syaoran close to her as she did. She whispered the phrase that her mother used to say whenever she was feeling down, according to her father. "_Everything will surely be alright_." With that, she fell asleep. Tomoyo excused herself from Sakura's room.

* * *

Syaoran had finished practice. He couldn't concentrate. He allowed some of the defense to pass by him and he didn't make a single goal. The coach was worried that his star player was falling apart. He didn't want that. He wanted victory to come to the Hornets. The only way that was going to happen was if Syaoran got his head in the game. The coach told him exactly that. Syaoran nodded and left the school, wanting to see Sakura.

As Syaoran was heading from Football practice, he saw Xialin leave the school as well. He had forgotten that there was cheerleading practice as well. He called out to the black-haired girl.

"Xialin-san." Syaoran called out to her.

Xialin turned around and blushed. Even though Syaoran was covered in sweat and his uniform was disheveled, the fifth grader looked amazing.

"Yes, Syaoran-kun."

"I'm going to see Sakura-chan." Syaoran told her. "She just got out of the hospital. Do you want to come as well?"

Xialin didn't mean to be jealous of Sakura at that moment. Of course, she was worried about her as well. However, the devotion that Syaoran invested in her… there was no word for it.

"I must be heading home right now, Syaoran-kun. Chen Mui would be worried about me if I made plans without telling him."

"I understand, Xialin-san." Syaoran smiled, which caused Xialin to blush again. "I hear that you guys are coming up with a new cheer."

"Uh, yeah." She stuttered. "A new cheer, right."

"Well, I can't wait to hear it." With that, Syaoran waved and left a blushing Xialin pondering on the smile that Syaoran bestowed on her.

Syaoran raced towards Sakura's house. His earlier feeling of tiredness was all forgotten. He just wanted to know how she was doing. He was worried but he got a message from the school. Tomoyo-kun had called to relay a message to Syaoran. Sakura had just gotten out of the hospital. She sprained her ankle but otherwise, she's fine.

When he saw Sakura's house, he noticed that Sakura's father, Fujitaka was standing on the porch, as if he was waiting for him. He walked up slowly.

"Ahh, Syaoran-kun." Fujitaka smiled.

"Good evening, Kinomoto-san." Syaoran responded.

"I know that you would like to see Sakura right now but she's asleep." He told the young boy.

"How did you know I was coming?" Syaoran asked.

"I've known you since you were three, Syaoran-kun. I know how much of a friend you are to Sakura."

Syaoran nodded and deferred to Fujitaka. "How is she doing?"

"A sprained ankle is all she has. She'll be in school tomorrow so you can see her then."

"I can walk her to school." Syaoran offered.

"Thank you for the offer, but Touya is already driving Sakura to school tomorrow. That way, she doesn't tire herself out making her way to school."

Syaoran's countenance was downcast. He really wanted to be there for her friend. Fujitaka smiled warmly and placed a hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"But how about this?" He told Syaoran. "Wait for her at the school entrance and you can help her get to class when Touya drops Sakura off in the morning."

Syaoran nodded. At least he could do that for Sakura. With that, he headed home. Sakura's father sighed.

"Do you see, Nadeshiko?" He said out loud. "Do you see how devoted Syaoran is to our daughter? You would have liked him." He smiled in the memory. "Although, I think it's because of you that she met the boy. For that, I am grateful."

When he finished his diatribe, Fujitaka walked inside his house. He heard a familiar song coming from Sakura's room. As he walked up the stairs to investigate, he remembered the song instantly. It was Sen no Kotoba, the song to which he and Nadeshiko danced for the first time. It was one of Sakura's favorite songs. When asked why, she said that whenever she played it, she could feel as if her mother was with her. Fujitaka stood outside Sakura's room and allowed himself to be immersed in the song. The memory of the dance started to replay in his head. He was so happy. No matter how many times he mourned his young wife, he didn't allow himself to cry. Nadeshiko would scold him if he did. So he smiled to please her.

* * *

Sakura woke up the next morning. It was early, 7 in the morning. School doesn't start in another hour and a half. However, she couldn't fall back asleep. So, grabbing her crutches, she hobbled down the stairs to make herself some cereal. She was very careful not to slip and hurt herself even more. She didn't want anyone to worry more than necessary. It took her 15 minutes to go down the stairs. She made her way to the kitchen and prepared for the balancing act that was breakfast. She made sure that she kept the pressure off her right foot. 10 minutes later, breakfast was served.

As Sakura was eating, a thought entered her mind. She wouldn't be able to cheer Syaoran from the squad. It disappointed her but she could always watch the game from the stands. This evening, the Tomoeda Hornets were taking on the Kanto Bulls for the championship. Although she didn't follow the Football scene in so much as it didn't concern Syaoran, she knew that the Bulls took down the favorite this year, the Shara Samurais. However, she believed in the Hornets in general and Syaoran specifically. Sakura just had to remind Syaoran to do his best. She knew that he would.

With breakfast finished, Sakura tried walking up the stairs again. Using the crutches and making sure to keep weight off of her right foot, Sakura made it up the stairs and went to her room to change for the day.

* * *

Syaoran was finishing his training for today. Wei had pushed him a little harder than usual. He did that whenever he had a game. Though Syaoran was exhausted, he didn't allow himself to take a breather. Drinking some water that Wei had provided for him, the little wolf went to his room and got dressed. He wanted to make it there before Sakura so that he could help her with everything.

Something about what happened yesterday made Syaoran very protective of Sakura. It was never to the point where he would become like her brother very over-protective. However, he didn't want to see Sakura sad or in pain. He was reminded of that day in first grade when someone intimated that the two were going out or something. After that kid pushed Sakura and she got hurt, something inside Syaoran snapped. He was warned by Wei that he should only fight to protect something. Everyday, Syaoran practiced that mantra. _This fist was made to protect_. Though that was the mantra that Wei gave to him, the little wolf modified it a bit. _His fist was made to protect Sakura_. Ever since that day, Syaoran had never used violence to protect Sakura but he never discounted it as an option.

Having finished his shower, Syaoran got dressed in his uniform and headed to school. It was still 8 in the morning. School didn't start until an hour from now. However, he wanted to be there before Sakura so he could help her traverse to class. He got there in about 10 minutes. Noticing that Sakura didn't arrive yet, the little wolf waited for her.

It was 8:30. Sakura was ready for school. Touya was ready to take her to school in his car. When the two were ready, Touya put the car into drive and took off.

Sakura put on a brave smile. She knew that Touya wanted her to stay home after what happened yesterday. However, the cherry blossom knew that Syaoran would be worried the most. She didn't want him to be worried about her. She knew that the championship game was tonight and Sakura wanted him to be focused on the game. If he was worried about her, Syaoran wouldn't give it his all. And she would feel bad because she would know that it was because of her that Syaoran wasn't his best.

It took only seven minutes for Touya to drive from their house to the school. Normally it would take three but Sakura's brother was driving slowly so as not to jar her leg. When the car came to a complete stop, a figure approached Sakura's side. It was Syaoran. He opened the door for her and took her hand so she could get out without problems. Sakura accepted and carefully exited the car. She then reached for her crutches and her school bag.

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura nodded and put her bag on her back and placed the crutches under her arm. She turned to her brother. "Onii-chan, I'm off."

"Gaki," Touya shouted. "I leave my sister to you."

Syaoran nodded and closed the door to Touya's car. The car sped off to its next destination.

Sakura took her time positioning the crutches to augment her forward progress. She was doing a good job considering.

"So how was practice, Syaoran-kun?" She asked, trying to return to a sense of normality.

"It was fine. I think we are ready for the Bulls." Syaoran didn't want to focus on the game. "How's your foot?"

"You don't need to worry. The doctor says that it's going to be fine in time."

"But I do worry." Syaoran told her. "I just don't like seeing you in pain."

"I know. I would feel the same way about you. That's why I came today, to show you that I'm fine."

"If you say so, Sakura-chan." Syaoran sighed in resignation.

* * *

Classes were uneventful. Sakura received many "Get well soon"s from her classmates. Tomoyo helped her with her notes in some of the classes that she took with Sakura and Xialin shooed some of the classmates inquiring as to how she got the injury when it became too much to bear. Sakura was grateful for that.

Sakura had only one class that she didn't share with Tomoyo, Xialin or Syaoran, and that was math. Because she wasn't very good at the subject, the cherry blossom took an easier course. As she was traveling to that class, a boy walked besides her. She recognized that boy as the same boy she ran into yesterday, Chiba Daisuke.

"Good morning, Kinomoto-san." Daisuke spoke.

"Good morning, Chiba-san." She responded.

The blond boy scratched his head in embarrassment. "I want to apologize for yesterday."

Sakura smiled. Even with the crutches under her arms and the tired look on her face, he thought she was cute. He blushed.

"You don't have to apologize, Chiba-san." Sakura told him. "If anything, I should apologize to you. It was my fault. I shouldn't have been running."

"But if I wasn't in your way…"

"It's okay. My leg will heal soon."

That took a load off of the blond boy's mind. "Thank you, Kinomoto-san."

"No problem."

Chiba breathed a sigh of relief. However, that turned into a small cough. Sakura looked at him strangely.

"Are you alright, Chiba-san?" She asked him.

"Just a cough, Kinomoto-san." He then looked at her. "By the way, we have the same class, Kinomoto-san. Do you want me to help you get to class?" He tried to be chivalrous.

"That's okay. I can handle it."

And she did. Even with her crutches, she was able to cross from the hallway to their math class. Chiba Daisuke had to admire her determination.

* * *

School went by in a flash. However, very few students actually left to go home. After all, the Football team was going to be playing a game at 6. It was the championship game between the Tomoeda Hornets and the Kanto Bulls. Many students went to the field to watch the home team warm up before the game. However, the majority of them were looking for the star, who was nowhere to be seen.

Syaoran was outside the locker room. He was talking to two girls before he suited up for the game. The black-haired girl was in a cheerleader's suit and the auburn-haired girl was in her school uniform and was being supported by crutches.

"Sakura-kun, you should go home." Syaoran told her flatly.

"Nonsense." Sakura smiled. "I'm not going to miss this game."

"But…" Syaoran tried to argue but Sakura silenced him with a hand on the shoulder.

"I know you, Syaoran-kun." Sakura told him. "If I am home, you are going to worry about me. If you do that, you won't focus on the game and you won't do your best. I just want you to do your best."

Xialin saw the determination in Sakura's eyes. She was staying. The black-haired girl turned to Syaoran. "Syaoran-kun, Sakura-san is right. You wouldn't do your best if she was at home."

"Thank you, Xialin-san." Sakura smiled. "Besides, you don't need to worry about me. Dad, onii-chan and Tomoyo-chan are going to be in the stands with me." Her voice tapered off, as if she was sad about something. "My only regret is that I can't be a cheerleader during your most important game."

She turned to Xialin. "Xialin-san, can you work the crowd and cheer twice as hard for me?" There were almost tears in Sakura's eyes.

In that instant, Xialin instantly regretted looking at Sakura. In reality, there was no way that she could compare to her. There was only respect in the Chinese girl's eyes. "Yes."

Sakura turned to Syaoran. "I'll cheer twice as hard from the stands. So do your best. Even if you don't win, you will still be number one to us, Syaoran-kun." Sakura smiled. "Dad used to say that whenever Mom was ever sad, she had an invincible spell. She would say '_Everything surely will be alright_.' I said that last night. So you keep saying that to yourself."

"Everything surely will be alright?" Syaoran asked.

"Yes. Whenever you are down or you don't know what to do, just chant that and it will come true. Everything surely will be alright."

Syaoran smiled. He never understood how Sakura could make him feel better but she always did. For that, he was grateful.

Syaoran entered the locker room. In a few minutes, he exited, dressed to play. He smiled at the two girls and walked onto the field. When he did, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Syaoran was in his environment.

Sakura smiled at Xialin. "Do your best, too, Xialin-san. Syaoran-kun is depending on you."

Xialin nodded and walked Sakura to the place where Fujitaka, Touya and Tomoyo were waiting. When Sakura was safely in the custody of her family, Xialin thought on what Sakura said.

"Everything surely will be alright, huh?" Xialin thought. "You're right, Sakura-san. It will." With that, Xialin went to the cheerleader's room, waiting for the game to start.

* * *

It was 5:55. The game would start in a couple of minutes. The Kanto Bulls were taking their position on the field and so were the Tomoeda Hornets. They were ready to do battle. Syaoran took his position on the field. He was ready to do his best.

_Everything surely will be alright_, he thought. That's what he was told by Sakura and he trusted her. He would do his best for Tomoeda, for his friends, and most importantly, for her.

The whistle sounded and Syaoran was ready. He was going to play his heart out for this game. There would be no regrets because tonight, he was giving his all.

* * *

That is chapter 8, people. And there was much rejoicing (Half-hearted YAY).

But seriously, to the post-analysis.

There were many references to previous chapters. I'll name them for you.

Characters: Fong Xialin and Chiba Daisuke, Dai Gui (Chapters 6 and 7)

Incidents: Syao-kame (Chapter 3), This fist was made to protect Sakura (Chapter 4), Sen no Kotoba (Chapter 1 and Title), Kero (Chapter 5)

About Sen no Kotoba: The name of this fic was intentional. The song will make several appearences in this fic, many of them relating more to Sakura is it has more significance to her. So when you see the song Sen no Kotoba, you'll know that there is significance to this.

So that's it. I would like to say that it was my birthday on Friday. I am now 23 years old. Give me a birthday present, leave me a review. (YAY SHAMELESS PLUG)

A. Angel


	9. The Divergent Paths

This chapter was later than I wanted. I wanted this done yesterday but I was feeling sick and/or tired and/or lazy. Damn video games taking away my concentration.

* * *

Chapter Nine: The Divergent Paths

Fall is quite the beautiful season. It is a season of domancy, where the earth prepares itself for a long sleep. So too it is with Sakura and Syaoran. They let their true feelings sleep for now, waiting for their spring to flourish.

Fall is also the time when the Tomoeda middle school kids prepare for their class fairs. This year, class 6-2, the class which Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Xialin and Daisuke called their homeroom, were sponsoring an outdoor dance. It was an interesting idea to say the least. And so, the class spent their Saturdays working the logistics of such an event.

The class was put in groups of three. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Xialin were in one group. Syaoran, Daisuke and another guy, Sekihara. The three girls were talking excitedly about the dance while making decoration.

"I think it's going to be fun." Tomoyo smiled. "This will be our first class dance."

Sakura was a little more reserved. "I heard from Yamazaki-san that we had to be wise in choosing who we dance the slow dance with because you will be with that person forever."

Xialin stopped listening to Sakura and started to daydream of her and Syaoran dancing a slow dance. Ever since coming to Tomoeda a year ago, Xialin's crush on Syaoran has developed into a full blown infatuation. There were times where the black-haired girl couldn't stand to be in his presense because of the fear of blurting out her feelings.

Although her feelings about Syaoran haven't changed, her feelings about Sakura had. A year ago, she looked upon Sakura as a rival first and a friend second. But now, after a year, Sakura was no longer a rival. She was a friend. Xialin was truly happy to have met Sakura. Although she still would like it if Syaoran returned her feelings, if he didn't and chose Sakura instead, Xialin wouldn't hold it against the cherry blossom. Such was the level of respect that she had for her.

"What are you thinking about, Xialin-san?" Sakura asked

"The dance." Xialin responded, adding a smile.

"Have either of you been asked by a boy to the dance, Sakura-chan, Xialin-san?" Tomoyo inquired.

Watching the expression on the two girls' faces was quite amusing. Sakura looked confused, as if she didn't understand the question. Xialin blushed furiously like a blood vessel broke in her head.

"I wasn't going to go with anyone." Sakura admitted. "I'm not that good of a dancer. I mean, the last time I danced, I stepped on Syaoran-kun's toes. I don't think my dance partner would appreciate that."

"But you have to go." Xialin shouted, well, not shouted but spoke a bit too loudly that she brought undue attention to herself. She blushed again, this time out of embarrassment. The black-haired girl tried to laugh it off and turned her attention back to the group.

"So Xialin-san, did someone ask you?" Sakura asked.

Xialin's black eyes were diverted to the floor. "Not really." She answered softly. "Actually, I am hoping he asks me though."

Xialin didn't realize that she said that part out loud.

"Really?" Sakura heard Xialin. "Who?"

Xialin put her hand over her mouth. "I said that out loud."

Sakura's eyes were downcast. "I'm so sorry. I won't ask who it is."

* * *

While the three girls were talking about who was taking whom to the dance, the boys were talking about how the dance was going to look like as the completed project.

"Well, we are going to want to have the refreshment table by the basketball court." Syaoran told the other two in his group.

"But if we do that, we will not be able to put the stereo system anywhere." Daisuke responded.

"Then where would you suggest we put it?" Syaoran asked.

"How about we put it next to the fountain?"

"Isn't that where we are putting the raffle table?"

"You're right."

"How about if we put the refreshments by the track field?"

Daisuke looked at the plans where everything was being set up and realized that there was space by the track field. The boys quickly drew a box next to the field and wrote refreshments in it. As the boys were finishing the logistics of where everything was going, their conversation turned to the dance.

"So have you asked someone to the dance, Li-san?" Daisuke asked.

Syaoran didn't say anything. The blond boy tried to read the Little Wolf's face but it was unreadable.

"Sorry." Daisuke apologized. "I didn't mean to pry. It's just that the format of the dance is boy asks girl and I was just wondering..."

Syaoran held up his hand. "It's alright."

Daisuke's face got a bit red all of a sudden. "Well, to tell you the truth, I was thinking about asking Kinomoto-san to the dance."

At the mention of Sakura, Syaoran's face turned from one of disinterest to one of intense attention. "Sakura-kun?" He asked, making sure to add the -kun suffix, lest anyone else get any ideas. "Why her?"

"Well, I don't know." Daisuke said. All of a sudden, the blond boy started coughing violently. "Excuse me."

Syaoran ignored the coughing. "Why her?"

"Well, it's just that she has a different feeling than other girls I've met. I don't know."

Syaoran felt a ping of jealousy. He knew that Sakura was the object of many boys' affections. Ever since fifth grade, boys opinion of girls change from toleration to affection. Sakura was no exception. Some of these affections were innocent and some were not. However, no boy had ever voiced their affections aloud. For one reason, Syaoran was always with Sakura and there were rumors that the two of them were already in some sort of relationship. Syaoran, for his part, never confirmed nor denied these rumors but it did help to keep those who would have tried to do something to Sakura at bay.

And so, to hear Chiba's confession, it was strange. This was the first time that Syaoran had ever heard anyone directly confess how he felt about Sakura. Syaoran felt like Sakura was pulling away from him.

"Do you think that Kinomoto-san would appreciate if I ask her to the dance?" Daisuke asked.

There were plenty of things that Syaoran wanted to say, not all of the good. However, if Sakura found out.... Well he didn't want to find out what she would do. Above all, he wanted to see her smiling. If Chiba asking Sakura to the dance would keep her smiling, Syaoran would defer to it.

"Do as you wish." Syaoran said curtly, avoiding eye contact.

"Are you sure that you don't mind? I thought you two were..."

Sakura-chan and I are just good friends." This time, Syaoran purposely dropped using the -kun suffix and added the -chan.

"I see. Are you sure that you don't have a problem?"

Syaoran slammed his hands on the table, startling Chiba. "If you do anything to hurt Sakura-chan, then I will have a problem... and so will you."

The blond-haired boy saw the intensity in Syaoran's amber eyes. It was truly frightening. "I promise." Chiba coughed again and smiled. "I promise not to hurt Kinomoto-san."

Before Syaoran could say anything else, the school bell rang, granting freedom to the students and allowing them to go home. Syaoran grabbed his things and headed out the door, leaving a stunned Chiba Daisuke to wonder what was going through his mind.

* * *

Syaoran was walking quickly. There wasn't any place that he had to be. It was just that he wanted to leave the school right away.

To say that he wasn't jealous would be a lie. It hurt him slightly to know that Sakura was the object of someone else's affection. However, it wasn't that HE was going out with Sakura anyways.

Syaoran shook his head. He knew that he had sort of a crush on Sakura. The amber-eyed boy couldn't remember when it started but he could remember when that feeling solidified. It was the day when Sakura asked to go to Hong Kong with him. When they made the plan to go together, she smiled. And it was then that he felt something syrupy inside his body. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling. In fact, he rather enjoyed that. It was his wish to make sure that Sakura was always smiling because if she were smiling, he would still feel that.

He was glad that Sakura was in his life. In fact, it was because of her that he is the person that he is today. She changed him from an introverted person, a turtle she used to call him, into a more confident and outgoing teenager. He was glad that they were friends, best friends in fact.

But somewhere along the line, his feelings changed somehow. It was a crush, to be sure. And yet, he didn't know if Sakura's heart was the same. If it were the same then... However, Syaoran didn't want to jeopardize the friendship that took so many years to build on one moment. If he were to confess and Sakura didn't feel the same way, it would be awkward with them. He couldn't bear that.

And who knows? Perhaps this was just a passing phase. His crush could be because Sakura was the first girl that ever showed unfaltering kindness. Above all, he wanted to keep the friendship. And should there come a time when his affection would be returned ...

Syaoran shook his head. Best to think about the now than the distant future.

* * *

Sakura and Tomoyo continued making decorations for the dance. Xialin, who was working with them, was packing up to go home.

"Oh, Xialin-san." Sakura called out to her. "Tomoyo and I are having a sleepover tonight. You're invited if you want to come."

Xialin smiled. "I'd love to come. However, Chen Mui doesn't allow me to do stuff like that until the weekend. Perhaps another time."

Sakura was a bit saddened but she smiled despite that. "It's okay. Another time."

Xialin waved goodbye and left the classroom.

"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked. "Have you ever seen Chen Mui, Xialin-san's caretaker?"

"Never. But from what I heard from Xialin-san, he's an old crotchety man who doesn't allow her to do normal stuff like our parents let us do. She said it was a difficult sell to Chen Mui. But she did convince him eventually."

Tomoyo looked at Sakura intently. "Are you sure that you don't want to go to the dance?"

Sakura was confused for a second. Weren't they talking about Xialin-san just a moment ago? "I wouldn't mind going to the dance. It's just I'm afraid that I'll step on my partner's toes like I did in Hong Kong."

Tomoyo giggled. "I'm sure that you wouldn't do it on purpose."

"But I'm all left feet." Sakura started labeling off how bad of a dancer she was and, as she was saying that, she was flailing her arms, adding levity to the situation. It all made for a very funny scene."

"Dancing is just something you learn by doing." Tomoyo told her. Sakura was enraptured by the sage-like advice. "Like singing, riding a bicycle, anything really, you have to put the effort into it. The more you do something, the better you become at it. So if you keep on learning to dance by dancing, you'll become better at it."

Sakura smiled. "Is that so?"

"Yes. My mother said that in order to move forward, we have to get better at the things we do. We need to grow in order to shape our future."

"Shape our future?" Sakura blinked. This conversation was becoming a bit more esoteric for her tastes.

"We shape our future with people we surround ourselves with and the things we become better at."

Sakura understood a little of what Tomoyo was saying. And what she was saying was a comfort to her, even if she didn't get it completely.

"And the most important thing, my mother said," Tomoyo continued "is that we should never betray our hearts. Because if we do that, we betray ourselves and the ones we love."

"Betray our hearts?"

Tomoyo took hold of Sakura's hands. The emerald-eyed girl was shocked by this girl. "Don't betray your heart, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo begged her

Sakura was confused. Wasn't this conversation about dancing? Tomoyo just smiled. "I suppose that it's okay if you don't understand this now. But one day, you will."

* * *

With the decorations done, Sakura and Tomoyo headed to Sakura's house. After eating dinner and watching some television, the two girls prepared themselves for bed.

Tomoyo turned to Sakura. "Sakura-chan, what do you think of Xialin-san?"

Sakura was shocked. This was the second time that she was asked this question. The first time was from her brother. However, it was weirder now because it was Tomoyo who asked it. Touya was her brother and so it was natural for him to ask that question like an older brother would. But Tomoyo was friends with Xialin as well. Why would she ask this sort of question?

"Well, I think Xialin-san is a nice person. She's the kind of girl who looks like she's been alone for a while. But now, she seems a little happier. However, there are times when she's, like, daydreaming."

Tomoyo smiled, but it was a small one. "I notice that, too."

"And whenever we are with Syaoran-kun, she can barely look him in the eyes." Sakura smiled.

Tomoyo looked at Sakura. "Don't you find that as strange?"

"Hoe?" Sakura squeaked in an undignified manner.

Tomoyo said nothing more on that. "So" The purple-haired girl leered. "Did a boy ask you to the dance yet?"

Sakura's face flushed with embarrassment. "No. No one asked me. But I keep getting stares from the boys."

Tomoyo smiled. "It's because Sakura-chan is cute."

Sakura floundered on what to say. "But Tomoyo-chan is cute too." It wasn't the best comeback but it was something. "Does that mean that a boy has asked you to the dance, Tomoyo-chan?"

"Yes, a boy did. But I had to turn him down. Unfortunately, I have to go with my mother. She's allowing me to work for her company."

Sakura understood that. For a while now, Tomoyo had been working for her mother's company in anticipation of getting a part-time job there in the future. For Sonomi, Tomoyo's mother, this job was just the sort of thing that would groom Tomoyo in anticipation of the girl one day running the company.

"That's too bad." Sakura sighed. Then she blinked. "Wait, a boy did ask you to the dance? Who was it?"

Tomoyo smiled and put her finger to her lips. "It's... a.... secret." She winked.

"Aw, you're no fun, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura sulked mockingly. Tomoyo could only laugh.

"So, did Syaoran-kun ask you to the dance?"

"No he didn't." Sakura smiled. "I don't think he'd ask me to the dance anyways."

Tomoyo looked at Sakura in confusion. "Why not?"

Sakura laughed. "He knows how bad of a dancer I am. I stepped on his toes when we were dancing in Hong Kong."

"I heard about that. But I'm sure he'd forgiven you since then."

"Maybe Syaoran-kun has forgiven me but not his feet. You didn't see them. They were all red and stuff. He didn't say anything that day, but I saw him rubbing his feet afterwards. I felt sorry for him."

The two girls giggled at Syaoran's predicament until Tomoyo turned serious.

"But you know, I think Syaoran-kun likes you." Tomoyo said with all finality.

"And I like him, too. That's why I just want to stay friends with him." Sakura smiled, but Tomoyo noticed that it didn't reach her eyes. "Syaoran and I already have a special friendship. To ask for more would be kind of pushing it, I think. Besides, what happens if we do go out and we don't last. What happens with the friendship then?

"Sakura-chan," Tomoyo tried to reassure her. "I'm sure that you and Syaoran-kun would be perfect together and you two will be together forever."

Sakura said nothing but had a wistful look on her face. "I am fine with friendship now."

Tomoyo, although she disagreed with her friend's decision, she did respected. So there was nothing said on the dance or any boys for the rest of the night.

* * *

In another house far away from the Kinomoto residence, Fong Xialin was preparing for bed. She was getting her clothes ready for tomorrow when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in, Chen Mui." She answered.

The door opened and an old man with a very long beard and a hunched back entered. His face was wrinkled with years of experience and his demeanor was one of extreme importance. This was Chen Mui, Xialin's minder appointed by Dai Gui.

Normally, the Fong family would have appointed their own caretaker but Dai Gui had convinced them that Chen Mui would be better equipped to handling their daughter and heir. Also, a substantial fee didn't hurt either. Since the Fong family was only prestigious in name only, they acquiesced.

Dai Gui also had his own plans in appointing Chen Mui. He was the Elder's ally into removing Kinomoto Sakura away from Li Syaoran. All Chen Mui had to was convince Xialin to attract Syaoran's attention. Since Dai Gui suspected that the girl had a crush on Syaoran, it would have been easy as making an innocuous suggestion. In fact, it was for that very reason that Chen Mui put into Xialin's head to become a cheerleader. It would have been easy to attract the attention of a Football star like Syaoran if she was a cheerleader.

However, it seemed that there was a bump in the road. Dai Gui and Chen Mui didn't count on Xialin becoming friends with Sakura. That made things harder. If Sakura claimed the future clan leader first, then that would mean Yelan would win her bet. If she was that confident in the Jap, Dai Gui suspected that she knew that her son and that girl would have a long term relationship and Syaoran might ask the girl to be his wife. Dai Gui would not let happen. He would never accept a Jap as the wife of the Li clan heir.

Xialin, for her part, was not aware of any plan to get her and Syaoran together. It's not like she didn't want to be Syaoran's girlfriend. She just didn't want to step on any toes to do so, especially Sakura's. She remained oblivious to the machinations that churned in Chen Mui and Dai Gui's minds

"May I help you, Chen Mui?" She asked respectfully.

"Nothing, young mistress." The minder told her. "I'm just making sure that you are well."

"I am, Chen Mui. I am just getting ready for bed."

"I heard that your class is hosting a dance." Chen Mui insinuated more than what was necessary into that sentence, trying to gauge how Xialin felt about this.

"We are, Chen Mui. We just finished the decorations. The boys are going to put up the tables and it will be ready for tomorrow night."

"I see." There was a wistful smile on Chen Mui's face that hid the cunning that he was really feeling. "And has anybody asked you to the dance yet?"

"No." She blushed.

"Not even Li-sama?" He asked.

Xialin blushed furiously. "No, he didn't."

"But you would like if he did?" He asked.

Xialin didn't confirm nor deny the question but the look on her face answered it for her.

Chen Mui put a fatherly hand on Xialin's shoulder. "Listen to me, Lady Xialin. If you want something so bad, you have to try and get it. If you sit and wonder what could have been, you will never get anywhere. Even if you are rejected, you will at least know."

Chen Mui was counting that his speech would rouse Xialin to talk to Syaoran and by the look on her face, it looked like it worked.

"Well, I'll let you decide what is best for you, young mistress." Chen Mui smiled, but it was devoid of any feeling.

Sakura and Tomoyo were heading to class the next day when they saw a tuff of blond hair waiting by the classroom door. On further inspection, it turned out to be their classmate, Chiba Daisuke. For some reason, his head was bowed as if there was something heavy weighing on his mind.

Sakura was the first to walk to him and try and say something. "Are you okay, Chiba-san?" She asked, concerned for her classmate.

Daisuke still kept his head bowed and whispered something that Sakura couldn't hear.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" Sakura asked.

Daisuke clenched his fists and looked up at Sakura. His face was bright red but his eyes shone with determination that it almost frightened the girl. "Um," He shouted, unable to control the sound of his voice. "I, um, you, dance." His words were jumbled. He was so nervous that he couldn't make a coherent sentence.

"I'm sorry?" Sakura tried to parse out the sentence but was unable to do so.

"I was just wondering," the blond boy was now whispering. "If you are free, and no one asked you, would you like to go to the dance with me?"

Sakura was shocked. She wasn't expecting any boy to ask her to the dance, much less Chiba-san. "Why?" Not the best of questions, but hey, she was flailing here.

The blond boy was stunned. He didn't expect his question to be rebuffed by another question. "Well, you're the nicest girl in school and I don't know who else to ask."

Sakura was at a loss. How would she answer him? It wasn't as if someone else was asking her and she had to admit that she did want to go. "But I'm not a good dancer. I step on everyone's toes."

The blond boy waved his hands frantically. "No, no. I wouldn't mind in the least. I mean I would be happy if you stepped on my toes." Daisuke slapped his forehead. That was not even close to what he wanted to say. _Smooth move, Daisuke_, he thought.

Sakura giggled. Chiba-san was acting funny. "Well, if you are sure you don't mind."

"Not at all." He reaffirmed.

"Okay then. I'll meet you here tonight." She smiled brilliantly.

That smile was bewitching, Daisuke thought. Well, it wasn't he was thinking at the moment because all of his thoughts were obliterated and all he could hear in his head was 'I'll meet you here tonight.' "Sure." He smiled.

Sakura couldn't believe that she said yes so easily. It wasn't that she found Chiba Daisuke to be appalling. It was just so adorable the way that he was so nervous. She found him just like Syaoran so long ago. Perhaps, that's why she said yes. Well, it would be interesting tonight.

* * *

Xialin, however, was filled with conflicting feelings as she was walking to class. There were no lessons planned for today since their class was still working on the dance so she felt no need to hurry.

She dreamed that she had asked Syaoran to the dance. There were two outcomes to that dream. One: He said yes and the two of them lived their lives happily ever after. Two: He said no and lived with Sakura forever, leaving her devastated. Such dreams made her even more nervous.

It was then as she was walking to class that she happened to see Syaoran and Sakura talking. No doubt they were talking about the dance and Syaoran was going to ask her to come with him. She didn't know what compelled her to hide but she did and eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Yeah, I haven't been practicing." Sakura smiled. The comment made Syaoran laugh.

"Well, if you don't practice, how will you get better?" Syaoran quipped.

"You sound just like Tomoyo-chan." Sakura was miffed. " And I haven't gotten better because no one wants to practice with me. I keep stepping on everyone's toes." She flailed.

The two of them laughed as if they were in their own world, oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.

Xialin felt a ping of jealousy. She knew that Sakura and Syaoran had been friends long before she had ever met either one of them. She knew that there was no reason for her jealousy but she couldn't help it. Syaoran happened to be the boy to whom her affections were directed and Sakura was a girl to whom he was closest. Although Sakura and her were friends and Xialin respected her, it didn't change the fact that it was Sakura and not her that was first in Syaoran's heart.

"I have a favor to ask, Syaoran-kun." Xialin overheard Sakura say.

"What is it?" Syaoran asked.

"It's about Xialin-san."

Xialin was now curious. Why was Sakura bringing her name up with Syaoran? Now she couldn't help but listen in on the rest of the conversation.

"What about her?" Syaoran asked. Xialin tried to determine the tone of voice Syaoran had used but was unable to figure out how he felt.

"What do you think about Xialin-san?"

That was the question that Xialin wanted to know. How DID Syaoran felt about her?

"Well, she's nice and kind." Syaoran told Sakura. "But it seems like every time I talk to her, she hides her face, like she doesn't want me to know something."

"I noticed that too." Sakura admitted.

Nothing was said for a space of a couple of minutes. Then...

"Going back to the favor, Syaoran-kun?"

Syaoran gave Sakura his attention. "What is the favor?"

Sakura took Syaoran by his hand which completely shocked him. "Please take Xialin-san to the dance." She asked him.

To say that Xialin was surprised would be an understatement. Xialin was floored by Sakura's intercession on her behalf. She would have never thought that Sakura would do something like this for her, not in a million years. So touched was she by Sakura's actions that tears started to form in her eyes.

Syaoran, for his part, was shocked as well. But then, he realized that it was just like Sakura to do something like this. "Are you sure? What about you?"

"Don't worry. Chiba-san asked me to the dance and I accepted."

Syaoran didn't look surprised. "He did, did he?"

Syaoran could be considered happy. Although, for the time being, he and Sakura were going to remain friends, Syaoran wouldn't have it any other way. What he and Sakura have right now was enough.

"I'll ask her. But do you think she accept?" Syaoran asked.

"I'm sure she'll say yes." Sakura smiled.

Xialin could stand it no longer. She stopped eavesdropping and headed to the bathroom. Xialin couldn't believe how kind Sakura was. She never asked Sakura to ask Syaoran out for her but she did it anyways. Xialin was truly grateful, so much so that she let out the tears of joy that had been welling in her eyes.

_Sakura was such a good friend_, she thought.

It was later that day that Syaoran had asked Xialin to the dance. She accepted the invitation.

And so it was that the red string of fate of Sakura had being tied around Daisuke and Syaoran's had being tied around Xialin. Those two will affect the ones tied by the string and change them in all sorts of ways. Sakura and Syaoran didn't know this yet but they will later on as they grow.

Sakura and Syaoran's relationship, however, was in its autumn. The seed had already been planted long ago. Winter will come and that seed will slumber, waiting for spring to come, until the time comes when they can recognize it, that seed will sleep. Those two will take divergent paths until the day when the paths cross again.

* * *

Okay. Here's the chapter. I understand that many of you are not going to be happy with this new development but understand that this is all plot relevant. Trust me. In later chapters, this is all going to make sense. If you wish to beat me with blunt objects until then, I respect that.

Till then


	10. Reflections

Chapter 10: Reflections

This is a short chapter, surely, but between school, my master's and two jobs, I'm surprised that I was about to do this chapter at all. Hopefully you'll enjoy it. If not, I understand.

* * *

It was a cool summer day. A fourteen year old Kinomoto Sakura was standing over her mother's grave, her hands clasped in prayer. The young girl had very little memories of her mother and only had pictures to know what her mother looked like.

"How have you been, mom?" She talked to her mother's headstone, though not expecting a response.

"I am fine, just in case you are wondering."

The sun shone gently on Sakura. "I wonder if you are doing well. I'm sure you are."

She smiled. "I am going to be starting high school this year at Seiju High. Can you believe it? It's been more than eleven years since... well you know."

"I'm not sure that I told you but I have a boyfriend now. His name is Daisuke. You would like him. He's very nice but he always seems so frail."

The emerald-eyed girl was quiet for a space. "But Tomoyo and I aren't going to the same school. She's going to another school that's suppose to be better academically. So I won't see her that often. It makes me sad but I'm happy for her. I know that she will do well there. It's her dream, after all.

"Touya probably told you that he graduated college and is working at a dig with Dad." She narrated. "He met his fiancée there. Her name is Kaho and she's really pretty. They are going to be married next year. It's going to be so great." Sakura smiled. "And then, they plan to have kids. I really can't wait to be an aunt. I'll be the coolest aunt ever."

"Dad's the same as ever. He changes your picture every day. He's still teaching at the university. I'm starting to find his courses interesting. I'm sure you did too."

Sakura closed her eyes in thought. "Oh and Syaoran's doing well too. He's going to be playing Football on the high school team. He has quite the fan following, Mom. No one would ever believe that he was the same person who was shy and withdrawn."

Sakura's smile went away as she looked at the headstone of her mother's grave. "But honestly, I wish you were here. I don't have many memories of you. I wish that you didn't have to die. But I know that you loved me." Sakura sighed. "To be honest, I'm scared. I'm scared of what happens once I start high school. Will I fit in? Will I succeed? Will I lose touch with my friends?"

"You probably know by now that I keep my feelings on the inside. I don't like when people worry about me. But when I come here, I feel like I can just let go of everything: my worries, my fears, everything that is bothering me. And I know that you are out there somewhere, comforting me. I thank you for that."

Sakura sighed again. "This isn't the same as talking to a person, but it does the trick."

Then she smiled. "But I can't wallow in sadness, now can I? I have to move forward. I'm sure that's what you would have told me."

"Well, I should be going now. Syaoran-kun is waiting for me." She told the headstone. "I promise to visit again next month."

* * *

Syaoran was staring at the headstone of his father. For the life of him, he didn't know what to say.

"I don't know if the dead are alive somewhere." He said to the headstone. "I don't know whether or not you are watching me. I'd like to believe that you are."

Syaoran looks at the headstone with a forlorn look on his face. "Every time I come here, I don't know what to say. How do I convey what I am feeling to an inanimate object? It doesn't make sense. I can pray and do silent meditation but seems to fall short of what I want to say."

"My sisters talk of you fondly. I think that the pain of losing you has become bearable. When I was young, I remember that they would cry every time you were mentioned. Now they just have that look in their face, you know a wistful one as if remembering a friend that had just moved away to another town."

Syaoran sighed. "I'm sorry. I haven't been coming except on the day of your death. I know Sakura-chan visits her mother's grave every month but... I don't know."

"I realize that in the grand scheme of things, you and Sakura-chan's mother set it up so that we could meet. It just seems highly unlikely that two children would be in the same cemetery at the same time and meet without a higher power's intervention. I remember it clearly. She had lost her hat, the same hat that her mother gave to her. I had found it and it went on from there. We have been together ever since."

"Because of her, I had made more friends and now I can stand on my own two feet. I think that it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be where I am now."

Syaoran touched the headstone. "I don't know where the future has in store for me. But because of her, I can face it. I'm glad I know her. I am glad that I am surrounded by friends. And I suppose I have you to thank. So if you are hearing this, then I am thanking you. Please do not worry, Father. I am doing well. I promise."

Syaoran let his hand slide of the headstone and walked away. He went to see Sakura who was just finishing her own talk. She saw him and waved at Syaoran, who smiled and motioned for her to come. They walked away from the cemetery in lighter spirits, unaware or already knowing that two figures were looking down on them and smiling.

* * *

For this chapter, I wanted to make the transition from Sakura and Syaoran being young kids to them being teenagers. I wanted to show where they are at this point and where they are going. It's sort of a break from what I normally do as there is no interaction, as it is more introspective. Also, this shows how the two view death and what they deem important to say. Finally, this will set up perfect the high school arc where everything I want to happen will come together. Here's hoping it comes out the way I want it.


	11. A New Encounter

Chapter 11: A New Encounter

This chapter was due two weeks ago. I failed because of work, betaing and video games. This isn't my best chapter I feel as though it didn't really have as much Saku/Syao action. But there are some parallels between this chapter and the first one. Also, I introduce the last two characters significant to the formation of the Saku/Syao relationship.

* * *

Sakura found herself up long before school was about to start. From her room, she could see rain falling from her window. It was rather interesting. On a day of new beginnings, the weather was very gloomy.

Sakura took a look at herself in her mirror. She barely recognized herself. She looked very mature in her polo shirt with the school emblem on it and her blue and white plaid pleated skirt. Her hair was grown longer since her days in secondary school.

And she had been growing into her womanly features. Sakura noticed that she had been grabbing the attention of the guys because of her looks. She wasn't naive in this department. She knew why she was receiving those looks. But she never allowed that to bother her. She treated everyone with kindness and respect.

If the truth be told, she had never imagined her life to be like this. Granted, as a young child, she was more interested in the present than in the future. But still...

There were many things on her mind, namely the transition from secondary school to high school. Sakura knew that it was only irrational fear keeping her back but she had no idea how to suppress it.

And there was another factor weighing on her mind. Tomoyo would not be joining her in high school. She was going to a more academically challenging school in Tokyo. It was somewhat akin to having a friend move to another town. Sakura knew that she would see her friend again. So she couldn't allow herself to wallow in despair.

"I am Kinomoto Sakura. I am 15 years old. I am a freshman at Seiju High. And I will stand tall." She told herself. Sakura reaffirmed her confidence and banished her fears.

Sakura smiled in the mirror and saw her reflection smiling back.

After giving herself the pep talk, Sakura bounded down the stairs. She could smell her father making something delicious. And so, the emerald-eye girl hurried to partake of the meal.

As Sakura walked through the kitchen, she was greeted by the smile of her father. Fujitaka looked the same as he ever did. The only hint of his age affecting him was a light gray here and there on his hair.

"Good morning, Sakura-san." Her father smiled and handed her a plate of pancakes, eggs and sausages.

"Good morning, father." She smiled back and sank her teeth into her breakfast.

"You must be excited to start high school." Fujitaka wondered.

"To be honest, I'm a little nervous." Sakura told her father.

"It's natural to be a little nervous, Sakura. You are moving away from your comfort zone and heading into uncharted territory. Everyone goes through this."

"Even Touya?" She asked teasingly.

"Touya was very nervous his first day. He could barely keep his breakfast down. But after the first day, he found a new friend, Yukito was it? He also met his girlfriend that first week and after high school was finished, he asked Kaho to be his fiancée.

"Really?" She quirked her head. "I thought they were engaged after they finished college."

"Well, Touya gave Kaho a promise ring after high school. He told her that should their feelings remain the same after college, then they would be married."

Sakura sighed at the romantic side of her brother. "I would have never thought that he would have a romantic bone in his body."

Fujitaka just smiled, not dignifying that with a response. Sometimes silence was the best answer.

"Shouldn't you be heading out now?" Sakura's father asked.

Sakura looked at the clock. It read 6:45. Orientation was to be at 7:30. If she didn't hurry, she would be late.

Sakura kissed her father goodbye and ran out the door.

* * *

Sakura ran towards Seiju High, conscious of the fact that she is probably _just_ going to make it. Sakura was thankful in that moment that she was a cheerleader in secondary school. Otherwise, she wouldn't be in any shape to do this. A smile was on her face as she ran. Although much has changed for her, it seems as though she was still the same Sakura.

Sakura, as she predicted, had just made it, two minutes before the first bell. As she was walking towards the entrance, she saw familiar messy auburn hair. Some things never change, she thought.

"Syaoran-kun." She smiled and waved.

"Sakura-san." Syaoran waved back. Just looking at the harried look on Sakura's face had put on smile on his own. It seems as though nothing has changed.

"We haven't started yet, right?" She asked.

"No, you made it."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. So she hadn't missed Orientation.

"Come on." Syaoran instructed. "Xialin and Daisuke-san are waiting for us."

Syaoran led Sakura inside Seiju High. Inside, there were a bunch of flyers with arrows in the direction of the auditorium. The two followed the signs in silence.

Sakura regarded Syaoran for a moment. She would have been stupid not to recognize that Syaoran had become more handsome over the years. She remembered him as a scrawny little boy. And now, he was starting to fill out his teenaged body. Football (Soccer to the American audience) had really shaped his definition. He wasn't overly buff but he wasn't scrawny anymore either. His hair, which had always been messy, still was. That hadn't change over the years. However, it did fill his face and made him attractive. But his best feature, at least to Sakura, would be his eyes. When she had first known him, his eyes were a dull brown, probably reflective of his introverted self. His eyes looked as though just speaking to others was a daunting task. But years of having him open up did the trick. His eyes sparkled with mirth, turning a light amber.

Sakura and Syaoran's relationship had evolved slightly. They were still best friends but they weren't as inseparable as they were when they were children. It wasn't the fault of either, just a symptom of growing up. They found new friends and had each found someone precious to them. However, each acknowledged the other as their best friend. Through thick and thin, that remained the same.

Sakura did notice that Syaoran had been taken to addressing her as Sakura-san more often. When they were younger, he had only called her Sakura-san in school so as not to give the other students the impression that they were going out or something. However, even when Syaoran starting dating Xialin, he had continued calling her Sakura-san. Gone were the days that he had addressed her as Sakura-chan. For a reason unknown to her, this had irked her. The fact that Syaoran didn't call her Sakura-chan anymore bothered her, as if they weren't as close as they were when they were younger.

They had reached their destination as Sakura finished her musing. The auditorium was packed with freshmen sitting in the provided chairs. Students ran the gamut in looks and feelings. On the aisles were older students, presumably upperclassmen, standing by the rows.

Syaoran found where Xialin and Daisuke were sitting and led Sakura to the seats. After their greetings, the foursome turned their attentions to the stage where a balding middle-aged man was approaching a set-up mike. After tapping it twice to make sure that it is on, the man spoke into the device.

"Welcome to Orientation, freshmen." The man said to the new students. "I am your principal, Motou Shinji. Today is the first day of the next four years of your high school career."

* * *

:The principal continued talking about how the students are going to be challenges and stuff but many tuned him out from there.

Sakura turned to her boyfriend. Daisuke was handsome in a way that Syaoran wasn't. As oppose to Syaoran, who was buff and board in the shoulders, Daisuke was lanky and extremely tall. His pale blond hair had been grown into a ponytail. His eyebrow was pierced during the summer break. Sakura had to admit that he did look good with that.

The emerald-eyed girl had been noticing that he never took gym class or any "physical" extracurricular activities. There would be some days that he didn't show up in class at all. Sakura would be worried but Daisuke would show up later and dismiss her worries.

Daisuke made her happy, though. That was all that mattered. The blond had a great sense of humor, able to take anything happening around them and conveying them in manner that made Sakura smile. His very aura put her at peace.

* * *

Sakura heard the crowd murmuring, signaling that the principal had finished his diatribe. The principal had told the others that upperclassmen would be assigned to the freshmen so as to acclimate themselves to the new high school. Sakura, Syaoran, Daisuke, Xialin and 10 others in their rows were assigned two mentors from junior year.

The first mentor was an olive-skinned teenage boy. His red eyes were unusual and his black hair made him look unapproachable. He looked physically fit and strong. His arms were crossed as if he didn't want to be there in the first place.

The second mentor was a light-skinned teenage boy. His blue eyes were very bright and his blond hair was messy. The boy was very lanky but had a runner's body. He had a big smile on his face as if the whole situation amused him. He had a very warm aura around him.

"Okay, new students." The second mentor shouted in a cheerful manner. "My name is Fay D. Flourite. I'm an American exchange student. My father is a business man who does work here and so I have enrolled here to finish out high school. Please do not hesitate to come to me with anything."

Fay poked the black-haired teen in the ribs and smiled. "Say something, Kuro-puu."

"Kuro-puu" grabbed Fay by his shirt. "Don't you call me that." He spat. But that only caused Fay's smile to grow bigger.

"Aww, Kuro-chan is mad at me."

The black-haired teen let go of Fay and turned to the freshmen. "Kurogane's the name. Junior and captain of the Football team and kendo team." The laconic answer made the freshmen curious about him.

"That's not good." Fay chastised Kurogane. "You should also mention that you are the number two ranked student academically."

The opinion of Kurogane had increased in the eyes of the freshmen.

"Well, let us show you around the school." Fay motioned with his hand to follow the juniors.

* * *

Syaoran followed the two upperclassmen as they showed the freshmen around the school. However, he was in his own world.

He was somewhat confused. Syaoran was talking with his girlfriend while the principal was talking. For some reason, there was something off with Xialin. It wasn't as if he wasn't attracted to her. That wasn't it.

Xialin was starting to fill her womanly figure. Her black hair was shiny and long. It filled her face perfectly. Her legs were shapely and very beautiful. They were the legs of a cheerleader. But if there was any feature that made Xialin attractive (if Syaoran was going to be honest), it was her large breasts. Syaoran had caught guys gawking at her chest. It made him mad that he became protective of her.

However, their relationship hadn't really bloomed like Sakura and Daisuke-san's. Syaoran really didn't know why that was. He didn't feel attracted to his friend (at least he didn't think so). But he would be stupid if he didn't acknowledge that Sakura was a beautiful woman. It was something else. Something that Syaoran couldn't put his finger on....

"Syaoran! Are you alright?" Xialin asked.

"I'm alright. Just thinking." Syaoran answered.

"Are you sure?" She was concerned. He was being distant again.

If there was a problem that Xialin had with Syaoran, it was that Syaoran was usually distant. She knew that he wasn't cheating on her. It's just that he didn't confide in her, like he did with Sakura. It is hard to have a relationship with someone who isn't 'close'. Xialin's feelings hadn't changed when they were in secondary school. She still loved him. However, she was finding it difficult to continue a relationship with him. She was understanding that they will never be as close as Syaoran is with Sakura. That isn't to say that she didn't enjoy his company. He was a very good boyfriend. But it was trying at times.

Syaoran put his hand to Xialin's cheek lovingly. "You needn't worry. I guess I am a bit nervous."

Xialin blushed. Then she smiled. He had a way to wash her heart clean.

Sakura, in the meantime, was having a good time with Daisuke. The two were talking with Fay and Kurogane. Fay would have a funny story, to which Daisuke would have an amusing comment. They were having fun.

Daisuke looked at the girl that he was dating. She was amazing. He had never fallen in love before Sakura. It was never his intention to do so. However, there was something about her that made it easy to love her. She had a great personality. She was cheery and upbeat. Nothing bad really fazed her. Daisuke knew that she was attractive but that's not what drew him to her. She was one of those people who made friends with everybody. There was no one who had a bad thing to say about her. What else could be said about someone like Kinomoto Sakura?

* * *

Orientation finished after Fay and Kurogane showed them around Seiju High. The freshmen had left the school to prepare for classes tomorrow.

Syaoran decided to walk Sakura home as he was going in the same direction.

"So how do you like Seiju High?" Sakura asked.

"It is okay." Syaoran answered disinterested

Sakura smiled. "Just okay?"

"What are you trying to say, Sakura-san?" Syaoran smirked.

"I saw you talking with Kurogane-sempai. Are you thinking about joining the football team?"

"Maybe." Syaoran answered in a childish manner.

"Come on, Syaoran-kun. Stop being coy."

Syaoran, in response, flicked Sakrua's nose. Then he ran. Sakura, of course, chased him.

Sakura couldn't catch up to the footballer.

Syaoran had to smile because even though they had grown into teenagers, there were times as though neither had grown up.

Syaoran felt as though the reason that their relationship hadn't been as close was because of him. Syaoran wanted to give Xialin his foremost attention. If he was going to do that, he had to make her first in his heart.

Syaoran started by calling her Sakura-san instead of Sakura-chan. It was a significant change to Syaoran. He had only called her that when they were in school. But now he was calling her by that honorific all the time. Sakura had once asked him about it but Syaoran brushed it by saying that he was just acknowledging her as a woman. Sakura knew that he wasn't telling her the whole truth but she didn't push it further.

Sakura wasn't innocent in the reason why their friendship wasn't as close as it was when they younger. Sakura had been spending more time with Daisuke. It was natural for a boyfriend and a girlfriend to spend more more time together than two friends. But it did mean that Sakura and Syaoran didn't spend as much time with each other.

Syaoran escorted Sakura to her house. They stood at her gate in an awkward silence.

"Sak...

...Syao"

They both tried to speak at the same time. Syaoran deferred to Sakura.

"Syaoran, I believe our friendship hasn't been as strong as it should be."

Syaoran's eyes widened. He was just thinking about this.

"Yeah, I know."

"I don't want us to be like this. I want us to be closer like we were when we were younger."

"We really should work on our friendship." Syaoran suggested.

"But how?"

Sakura couldn't think of a thing. This bothered her.

"I don't know."

Syaoran put a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder. "You don't need to put pressure on yourself. I will think of something as well. We will get our friendship back to the way it was."

Sakura smiled brilliantly. Such a smile made Syaoran feel that syrupy feeling that he used to feel when he was younger. Syaoran smiled back and walked away satisfied. He knew that between him and Sakura, they would find a way to restore their friendship. Syaoran was sure of that.

* * *

Yes, it's not my best chapter. I know. But I would like to know what you are thinking. I know that many of you aren't happy with the fact that Sakura and Syaoran aren't in a relationship yet. Trust me. The goal is Sakura and Syaoran in the end. Right now, they have to rebuild their friendship

Also, if you didn't know. Kurogane and Fay are from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle.

Please review. I love the feedback

A. Angel


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